Letters for Yahiro
by MadBlossomingPrincess
Summary: Megumi left in their 2nd year... and never got in contact with anyone. Now, five years after Megumi seemed to completely disappear, Yahiro recieves letters from her, regarding a challenge he issued her in anger. All Yahiro's POV and Megumi's letters.
1. A' is for

Hi! This idea kinda just popped into my head after reading the first five books, so I thought I'd put it up and see what everyone thought! Also, I still don't quite understand how to fix the formatting, so if anyone can tell me, I'd be eternally grateful! Enjoy and Review!

Warning: They might seem out of character, but with the circumstances and the time that's gone by, I think this is how they'd act.

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. If I did, this coupling would have happened a lot faster, as well as the others.

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Chapter One: 'A' is for…

Yahiro glared at the letter on his desk, already dreading the moment he'd have to read it. It was probably just another love letter from yet another girl he didn't care about. He sighed as he opened it, just wanting to get it over with.

_Dear Yahiro…_ Yahiro stared at the familiar handwriting. It couldn't be… but it was. "Megumi…" he barely heard himself whisper the name. Megumi had left years ago, in their second year of high school, and she never wrote or kept in contact with any of them. Even her twin, Jun, had to beg for information about her. He looked at the paper again.

_Dear Yahiro,_

_ It's been a while, hasn't it? It never seemed to be the right time to write when I tried before… and I could never seem to find the words. I found them now. All twenty-six of them actually._

_ You remember, don't you? Your last challenge to me? It was to find a meaningful word to each letter of the alphabet and then we'd talk. Well, here's 'A'._

Yahiro sighed, feeling a little exasperated. That challenge had never been for real, but Megumi had obviously taken it to heart. In reality, he was feeling a little bitter about losing Akira still, and Megumi was the target he chose to vent at. Then she'd just left, without a word, and he'd lost the one person who accepted him completely, though he hadn't realized that fully.

He picked up the paper and continued to read.

() () () () () () ()

'A' stands for Akira. That's where it all began after all. You loved Akira, and the only reason I asked you out in the first place was to try to protect her. But, as usual, you saw right through that.

Yahiro, you never got over Akira. You always wanted to be there for her, and you were just waiting for Tadashi to mess up. You never looked at anyone or anything else.

She was everything to you. You'd give up everything you had to see her smile just once. It might have hurt you, but at least she was happy. You were content to be the 'bad guy' so Akira had someone to blame if she needed it.

Akira was like family to me, like a sister. She was always trying to protect me and Hikari from the devils, aka, you and Kei. She was also in love with Tadashi, a fact we could all see very well.

I thought you'd try to break them up. Then I realized you'd never do anything to hurt Akira… because she was the one you loved.

Everything started with Akira.

() () () () () () ()

_Twenty-five more letters Yahiro._

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro stared at the letter. There was a time Megumi would never have been that frank. She'd changed a lot in the last five years.

Briefly, he wondered what it had been like, just leaving the way she did, and if she had missed them. He wondered what she'd been doing, who she'd met, if she spoke now or still wrote in her notepad. Yahiro knew he'd find out eventually.

He couldn't wait for letter 'B'.


	2. B' is for

Okay, here's chapter two! I really like this story, so I'm going to try to update this a lot… but I have another one I'm working on too… Whatever gets the most reviews is the one I'll work on, so if you like this, review!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. Unfortunately. I'd be the happiest person on earth if I did.

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Chapter Two: 'B' is for…

Yahiro picked up Megumi's next letter. It had been a week now, and he had been trying to think of what 'B' could stand for.

_Hello Yahiro. If it went as planned, you had to wait a while for this one. Did you wonder what 'B' stood for?_

_ Well, it doesn't matter if you did. The long wait is over for you. But first, think about 'A'. Reread it if you have to. I don't want you to forget where both we and these letters started._

Yahiro didn't need to reread it. He'd read it every chance he had in the last week, for any clues to her whereabouts and to 'B'. Now, he was going to find out.

() () () () () () ()

'B'… stands for boys. Not what you expected, was it? Boys.

It seems like I was always being surrounded by boys, or boyish people. I lived with Ryuu and Jun, was in S.A. with Tadashi and Kei, and both Akira and Hikari acted like boys most of the time. Then there was you. But the others aren't the ones that matter now; you are.

There were times you seemed like you actually cared for me. Like when the boys from school came to me with love letters, you'd chase them away. Or when my parents wanted to set up a marriage, you used your family's influence to stop it. Yahiro, you acted like you were jealous, like you wanted me for yourself.

Were you?

Anyways, back on subject. Boys have always had a huge influence on my life, but I was always shy around the ones I didn't know. It was easy for any boy to get me to do what he wanted. The only way I had to fight back was to scream, and I had to protect my voice.

It hasn't changed that much I guess. I'm still surrounded by boys and tomboys, just not to the S.A.'s extremes. Boys tend to flock to me; it's a little uncomfortable.

They kind of remind me of everyone else though. In the smallest ways, having boys around reminds me of home. Its almost natural now. The boys I've met, the S.A. boys, and you Yahiro… all of you made me a different person.

Boys created who I am, and who I will be.

() () () () () () ()

_Twenty-four more letters Yahiro. How long until you get the next one?_

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro stared at this letter just as he had the last one. Boys. He wouldn't have ever expected that, or the bluntness of the letter. She was playing some sort of game with him, that was the only thing he could think.

_Were you?_ The question circled around in his mind. "No!" he muttered angrily. "I was **not** jealous!" He plopped down onto his bed, ignoring the pile of paperwork he needed to do for work.

Boys. Even now, she was surrounded by boys, without someone to protect her. Yahiro frowned. Of course, he wasn't thinking of being her protector. Like she'd said before, Akira was the only one he wanted to help, not her.

"That idiot girl," he growled, sitting up. He wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight, but he'd never be able to focus on work.

He was too busy thinking of what 'C' could be.

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And there's chapter two! Are you wondering what 'C' will be? Okay… here it is… NOT! You'll just have to read to find out! Review please!


	3. C' is for

Yay for Chapter 3! I had these written up today on paper, and since I had time, decided to put the third chapter up! So… what does 'C' stand for? Read on to find out! Don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. I wish I did, really I do, but if I did, would I honestly be writing this fan fiction?

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Chapter 3: 'C' is for…

_ Hello Yahiro. Didn't have to wait too long for this one, did you?_ Yahiro was scowling at the letter. He'd gotten it this morning, just hours after the last one, and after a sleepless night wondering both about what 'C' would be, and who the boys around Megumi were. What he'd finally noticed though, was that none of the letters had a return address, which meant someone had to be hand-delivering them. This letter was no different.

_You're quick Yahiro, so I'll let you know that these are delivered by a friend of mine. Not an S.A. member, because I'm sure they'd have already told everyone that I'd gotten in contact with them._

_ By the way, you may now be wondering, 'am I the only one she's ending these to?' The answer is yes. No one else even knows if I'm even alive, let alone making contact or sending you letters. This is just for you Yahiro._

Yahiro refused breakfast, taking the letter to work. Once he finally had a break, he settled down in his office to read the letter.

() () () () () () ()

'C' stands for camera. You never gave mine back. I lent it to you for a while when we all went to Hawaii, and I never got it back.

That camera has my precious memories in it. I had pictures of everyone in it, all the places we went, and all our activities. Yahiro, I never realized how important a camera could be until you kept mine. I can't even remember some of the things we did on that trip, or names of stores, or faces we met.

So, my camera. If you still have it, feel free to look at it. Then, once you're done, give it to Jun or my parents. If you lost it or it broke, just tell Jun or my parents so I can find out if it's a lost cause. It you don't have it though, you'd better buy me a new one.

A camera holds memories. The pictures inside may just be images, but they're also precious moments that are frozen in time.

You have my memories Yahiro.

Now, I want my camera back.

() () () () () () ()

_Twenty-three letters left. Can you guess what 'D' will be?_

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro chuckled at the demand for her camera. He still had it of course. It was in his briefcase at the moment, where he'd kept it the past few years, hoping to give it back. Megumi had never returned though, and until now, the camera had lain forgotten in whatever bag he was using at the time.

Putting aside his work, a growing habit that happened once the letters showed up, he found the camera. It was light blue; with a hand drawn while flower on it. Megumi had been so excited after getting the camera, and took pictures of everything she could.

He browsed through the pictures. Megumi was right in saying the pictures were moments frozen in time. For one, he didn't remember that Tadashi had pulled Hikari into a hole and both of them had come out dripping wet. Megumi had taken the picture, in an effort to preserve everything.

Yahiro paused at a picture, a moment he remembered too well. Megumi had handed the cameras to Yahiro when he asked for it, and charged off to 'talk' to the girls. She'd been laughing, enjoying herself, and without hesitation, following an impulse he still didn't understand, he'd followed her and took a picture.

He'd been too embarrassed to show her the picture, especially since he didn't understand what had driven him to take the picture in the first place. Also, he couldn't figure out how to delete the photo, so he just never gave the camera back.

Well, a little longer wouldn't hurt. He'd give it to Jun when he'd had more time to figure it out. But maybe he wouldn't delete it… it was a precious moment after all.

Yahiro shook his head. He was still teasing her and he hadn't seen her in years, just read these letters. But there was still time for teasing her when he tracked her down, after he'd had some fun with these letters.

Yahiro smirked. He was pretty sure he knew what the 'D' stood for.

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Wow… this wasn't supposed to seem so serious to me… now that I read it, it sounds really dramatic and serious. Oh well, I promise, not every chapter will seem so serious! Just most of them… REVIEW PLEASE! Reviews are like candy to me… so sweet and amazing that I just want to get more! So please review!


	4. D' is for

Okay, another chapter! These are all really short chapters, and it doesn't look like they'll get much longer any time soon! This is turning out to be very serious… it's almost time for a less serious chapter! This one though, may end up being serious… READ AND REVIEW!

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own S.A. Though if I had my way, it would be mine, and I would have fun with causing relationship drama!

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Chapter 4: 'D' is for…

Yahiro was in a foul mood. It had almost been two weeks since Megumi's last letter, and he was lashing out at everyone. He'd nearly killed Jun when he returned the camera a few days ago, still unable to delete that stupid picture.

He didn't even know why not getting a letter made him so angry. He just… well, he didn't know what he was anymore. But whatever he was feeling, having to wait for Megumi's letters didn't make him very cheery.

Yahiro almost didn't notice the letter waiting for him on the desk, he was so angry. Then, after a moment of just staring at it, he tore it open in a hurry.

_Yahiro, you really need to calm down. Getting mad won't help._ Yahiro glared at the paper and looked around. Sometimes it seemed like she knew about everything he said or did.

_I heard you nearly ripped Jun's head off the other day. Thanks for my camera by the way._ Yahiro scowled. She was messing with him. If she was staying with Jun…

_I spoke with my brother on the phone yesterday, but didn't actually see him. He was wondering why you were so angry. Don't worry, I didn't tell him. Well, are you ready for the next letter?_

Yahiro sat down with the letter. He wasn't sure if he was** ready**. So far, nothing she said or wrote about was what he had expected. Not in a bad way exactly, but he had no idea how to react. Yahiro wasn't in control, and he couldn't react the way he wanted. The only way to win control was to tear the letters and stop reading.

Yet, somehow, he just couldn't stop reading.

() () () () () () ()

'D' stands for date. I'm pretty sure you expected that Yahiro.

Our one and only date was the one I took you on, trying to make sure you would leave Akira alone.

I had fun that day. I didn't expect to. You were just supposed to be this despicable person that I had to convince to like me. Also, I had no clue how to make our date fun. You were my first date ever, and it was forced on both sides, so how could it possibly be fun? Also, all you did was tease me and criticize everything I did.

Then, I found out you weren't quite so despicable. You helped me to sing. You seemed to be genuinely concerned for my voice after I told you why I didn't speak. By the end of the date, I thought you'd had fun.

You told me you hadn't. By then though, I was determined to win our little game, and make you admit you'd had fun with me.

The one thing I remember best though, is that you tried to protect me. You told Ryuu and Jun that you'd forced me to go out with you, even though I was the one who'd practically forced you to come with me. You protected me just like you would have protected Akira. I remember the time you came to protect me, without thinking about her.

Thinking back on it now, I judge all my dates on one that neither of us really wanted in the first place.

() () () () () () ()

_Twenty-two letters left Yahiro. Think about them._

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro nearly punched the wall. He wasn't thinking about any letters, past or future, but about what she'd said. When she'd inferred that she'd had dates with others, he'd felt… something. Not anger exactly, but something he couldn't describe.

Not jealousy. There was no way he was jealous over the idiot girl. No way whatsoever. Whatever he was feeling, this drive to hunt down the boys and make sure they never got near Megumi again, it wasn't jealousy.

The only thing to do was put it out of his head and focus on anything else. Focus on what 'E' could be. There was nothing to gain from thinking about Megumi with other guys, nothing! Best to just focus on the next letter.

It was a long time before he actually did.

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If anyone noticed, I used the date from the TV anime for this, not the manga. I just like the idea that Megumi would stand up to Ryuu and Jun… it just seems more extreme for Megumi to me! Anyways, please review!


	5. E' is for

Chapter Five! Poor Yahiro, he doesn't know how to handle all of this, does he? He's getting all confused… I say good job to Megumi finally figuring out how to mess with him! Still listening to Whispering… and thoroughly depressing myself. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. I really wish I did… there'd be a lot more attention focused on Megumi and Yahiro.

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Chapter 5: E stands for…

A week lapsed before Yahiro got the next letter. He'd been snapping at his employees, barely spoke to anyone, and just thought most of the time.

Yahiro didn't know what kind of game Megumi was playing, but he knew he had to go along with it until the very end.

The letter was where the servants always put his private mail: his desk. He almost missed it among all the work he'd been neglecting lately. Once again, he put aside work to read.

_Yahiro, Yahiro, Yahiro. Rumors are saying that the president of Saiga Corporation is neglecting his workload. Not good Yahiro._ He could practically hear the lecture already, even though Megumi had never been one to lecture.

_I hope it's not because of the letters. I don't want to be a problem._ That sounded a little more like the old Megumi, Yahiro noticed, feeling a bit relieved. That Megumi was one he could deal with. He was completely confused by the new Megumi.

_But I can't stop now. I don't know if you remember this incident, but here's 'E'…_

() () () () () ()

'E' is for eclipse. Not that vampire movie everyone is obsessing over, but an actual eclipse. Do you remember?

It was shortly before I left, the summer before our second year of high school. I was looking for gifts for everyone, and we ended up running into each other. You ended up yelling at me for not using my sketchbook, and we ended up having a conversation after all.

The solar eclipse. I wanted to look at it, but you called me an idiot and wouldn't let me. I was happy, even if you were stopping me. I felt like you were protecting me, in my own little way.

Then you said that if I injured my eyes, Akira would get mad.

Even then, it was all about Akira. I snuck a peek at the eclipse, just to spite you. It didn't hurt, though I'll admit I didn't look at it for long.

It was so beautiful, and so sad. It was only going to be there for a short while, and then fade away. Just like any kindness you gave to me.

You would seem so kind to me, but that disappeared quickly, because it always ended up being for Akira.

An eclipse, here and then gone…

() () () () () ()

_Twenty-one letters left Yahiro. Are you getting anything from them?_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro stared at the paper. He remembered that eclipse, just a little too well. He remembered the stubborn look on her face when he'd told her not to look at the eclipse. He remembered seeing her look at it anyway. He'd ignored it, only because she'd only end up yelling at him, and straining her voice.

He also remembered the tears growing in her eyes when she tore her gaze away from the eclipse. He shook his head. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

_Are you getting anything from them?_

"Am I supposed to?" Yahiro muttered, sighing a little. Like it or not, the idiot was confusing him. So what did that make him, since the idiot was confusing him?

He wasn't sure he was ready to see what 'F' was…

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Aww… I feel like I should go easier on Yahiro… he's just so dense sometimes, its fun to mess with his head… Send me a review please!


	6. F' is for

I'm really enjoying this… It's fun to see Megumi tormenting Yahiro, instead of the other way around… Originally, I was going to wait to update, but after I watched a video put up by AnimeAngelGirl15 on Youtube (Yahiro and Megumi-Whispers in the Dark), I really felt the urge to do this. So, watch the video and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. Does anyone else think this is crazy? …If I owned S.A., would I honestly be writing fan fiction about it?

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Chapter 6: 'F' stands for…

Yahiro glanced at the letter, rubbing his eyes wearily. In the days since the last letter, he'd finished all the work he'd been neglecting the last few weeks, losing a large amount of sleep at the same time.

He didn't do the work because Megumi disapproved of his negligence. No, he only did it because it did no good for a company president to stop working, especially since Saiga Corp. was doing so well.

Also, now that there was a minimal amount of work left, he had as much time as he wanted to think about the letters. Not that Yahiro actually wanted to focus on them. It was just… something to pass the time now that there was less work.

_So Yahiro, I heard you started doing your work again. Good. I'd hate for Saiga Corp. to go downhill, especially since it's been doing so well lately. Was that due to Kei's help?_

Yahiro scowled. Kei's influence as a Takishima may have been a small part of it, but Yahiro had some business sense. He could have made the corporation this big on his own. Okay, maybe Kei had helped a lot… without him, it would have taken a lot longer to get Saiga Corp. so successful, Yahiro admitted grudgingly.

_Well, no big deal. I'm not here to talk about your business… though that's important to you. Here's 'F'._

() () () () () () ()

'F' is for fun. What's fun mean to you Yahiro?

To me, it was the sense of enjoyment, of being happy with people I cared about. With that kind of definition, we all had fun, didn't we?

Like, do you remember the day it started raining at our barbeque? It was one Sakura had set up to celebrate her six-month anniversary with Jun, and we were at one of the many Ushikubo private parks. We didn't expect it to rain, because it was sunny the entire week, but it started to pour half-way through the celebration. We started to run for shelter, all of us, and everything got soaking wet. Even though we were all soaked through, everyone was laughing and having a good time. It was one of the few times I saw you laugh whole-heartedly.

Oh, and then the surprise party for Chitose's birthday. Hikari made all the decorations, and you were teasing her about how poor she made the place look. Kei and Akira got annoyed with you and started to yell, while Ryuu and Tadashi tried to calm them down. I think that Jun and Sakura were talking on the couch, completely ignoring everyone else. Chitose came home while you were bickering with everyone else, and found it all out. We ended up laughing about it, and just gave Chitose his presents. We had a good time that night, just playing around and talking.

Somehow, around the S.A., even bad situations became fun. Did you notice that? Looking back, there rarely was a situation that didn't end up ending for good.

() () () () () () ()

_Twenty letters left Yahiro. Are you having fun?_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro looked at the letter, for once unsure of what he should do. He wanted to laugh about the times she talked about, but her final question pissed him off for some reason. It was tempting to shred the letter into a thousand little pieces, and never have to look at it again.

He didn't. Yahiro folded the letter up carefully and placed it into a box with the other letters he had received.

Then, he picked up his phone and dialed Jun's number…

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Aww… I love this pairing… That seems random, but it's true! Oh well… review please! Who thinks they know what 'G' will be?


	7. G' is for

Sigh… Poor Yahiro… he's so confused. I'm enjoying this too much… But come on, he confuses people so much its fun! Random info! I'm listening to Whispers in the Dark by Skillet right now… and Whispering from Spring Awakening… for some reason these songs help me think of this story… oh well! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. It's my wish upon a star to own such a cute story, but it hasn't come true yet…

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Chapter 7: 'G' is for…

Yahiro stabbed at his dinner violently. Jun hadn't heard from Megumi since she'd called about the camera, so he was of no help whatsoever. In the hours since he'd read that letter, he had called anyone he could think of that Megumi might talk to. No one had heard from her, except for Jun about that **stupid** camera! And even then, he hadn't even seen Megumi, just gotten a phone call.

"Young master?" One of the maids had the audacity to interrupt his dinner, and his time alone.

"What is it?" Yahiro didn't bother trying to be nice. If he was going to have a hard time because of Megumi's letters, he'd give everyone else a hard time.

"A-a letter for you…" Yahiro snatched the letter from the wide-eyed maid and dismissed her, ripping the letter open.

_Hello Yahiro. Did you enjoy the last letter?_ Yahiro nearly destroyed the letter then. She was taunting him!

_You may think I'm playing a game with you. You'd be right. And if you stop reading, I'll win. _Well, now Yahiro definitely couldn't destroy the letter. There was no way he was losing to that idiot!

() () () () () () ()

'G' is for games. Because I know how much you like games Yahiro.

These letters are my game. I make the rules, I set up the matches, and I control everything. They're a little well deserved payback for the games you played with me, don't you agree? They weren't meant to be that way, but in the end, it became a game. And either way this goes, I win.

Keep reading, and you hear everything I want you to. Stop, and you only prove you couldn't handle what I was saying.

You don't like those odds, do you? I got the idea for the game when I thought of you Yahiro. Aren't you proud? I ended up becoming a little more like you. You can't really call me an idiot anymore.

So I wanted to add in a side you could actually win at. It's only fair, and I like to believe I was a fair person.

So, here it is. If you can find me by the end of the letters, you win. If you don't, I win. It makes the game a lot more interesting when you have a chance.

Do you still play games Yahiro?

() () () () () () ()

_Nineteen letters left. Do you think you'll win?_

_-Megumi_

This time, he acted on his anger. He threw his chair. She was so annoying! How was it even possible for an absent idiot to ruin his composure?

"You want to play games, Megumi?" Yahiro growled. "Fine. I will find you!"

He glared out the window, where of course there were no clues. Once he found her he could… Yahiro wasn't sure what he'd do first to be honest. It was between throttling her and yelling, or be glad to see her.

Yahiro sighed, never looking away from the window. "Megumi… where are you?"

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Poor Yahiro! I know, I say this a lot, but it's true! He just doesn't know how to handle the new Megumi's letters! It's so funny! Oh yeah, review please!

I also have a new story up called 'A Thief's Tale'! Please go look at it and review on that too!


	8. H' is for

Hi everyone! It feels like it's been a while since I updated this, so I felt like doing it! Well, I had a bit of help with that… thanks for** nipeshe** for sending me the review that inspired me to update! Enjoy!

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Chapter 8: 'H' is for…

Two weeks and five private investigators later didn't help Yahiro get any closer to finding Megumi. In those two weeks, except for the added meetings with the investigators, nothing else had changed in Yahiro's schedule.

Seven business meetings. Nine meeting with the S.A., where everyone avoided the subject of Megumi. Two marriage interviews which he turned down. One haircut.

Two weeks, and now Megumi decided to write. Yahiro tore the letter open, looking for clues.

_So Yahiro, I noticed you tried to find me. You'd be surprised at how incompetent private investigators can be._ Yahiro scowled. At least now he knew she had to be nearby. Though she could have whoever was delivering her letters watch him at the same time. So there was no good hint there.

_Anyways, letter 'H'._

() () () () () () ()

'H' is for hair. Another seemingly random word, right?

Well, I'll keep this short. You remember our date, don't you? I mentioned it in 'D'. Well, I was talking because you told me it was boring that I wasn't talking. I told you I liked my haircut, and asked you where you got it, right before you yelled at me to stop talking. I think it was the first compliment I gave you, so that means something, so the word is meaningful.

Also, I'm giving you a hint, since you're trying to find me. I haven't cut my hair. At all. So it's really long now.

And that's all.

Where did you get your haircut anyways?

() () () () () () ()

_Eighteen letters left Yahiro. How's the search going?_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro glowered at the letter. How did the fact she hadn't cut her hair help him find her? It couldn't be because she had the same hairstylist. His hair was cut by a professional stylist that only came once a month exclusively for him.

Her hair had been long enough, Yahiro mused. More than long enough. Long enough for idiotic boys to get their fingers tangled in it when they felt like flirting with her.

It hadn't been too hard chasing them away. The hard part had been making it seem like it wasn't him chasing them away. And if the current progress on the search was any indication, finding Megumi would be one of the hardest things he ever tried.

Yahiro wasn't going to give up, even if her clue had been completely stupid. Idiot girl could mess with his head, but couldn't come up with a decent hint. But he wasn't giving up… he couldn't. Not now.

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GO YAHIRO! GO MEGUMI! I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be rooting for… so I'm rooting for both of them! Hope you enjoyed this chapter...even though its short… and I hope you review! Reviews are a sign of appreciation… so if you like this… REVIEW! They motivate me to write!


	9. I' is for

I have rediscovered listening to Christmas songs long before Christmas season starts… and am loving it… my sister's not so happy though… she's being forced to listen to my music when she's trying to clean… mwahaha! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. I wish I did, but I don't. I say this a lot… It makes me sad to have to admit it…

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Chapter 9: 'I' is for…

_Good morning Yahiro._ Yahiro sighed. He had been having too many late nights between work and searching for Megumi. Being who he was, he hated to lose, especially in a game like this, so he had stayed up for the last 57 hours searching. With his lack of sleep, he didn't need a 'Megumi letter' first thing in the morning.

_It been three days. I'm surprised at how little sleep you're getting. You really should try to get a little more rest. Have you tried napping during your breaks at work?_

Yahiro scowled. Everyone was nagging at him to get more sleep, and said that he looked like he was about to collapse. At the moment, sleep was just wasting time he would need to win Megumi's little game.

_'I'. It was actually a little difficult to figure what this one could be, but as you can see, I found out what it was._

() () () () () () ()

'I' stands for instrument. A musical instrument of course!

Did you know I can play the flute, piano, and violin? I can! Theoretically. I can play all of them… just not well. Singing was more important to me.

Though I admit, the cello always sounded interesting…

An unknown fact about Megumi: I can't play instruments very well… and I don't like learning how. Unlike Jun, who can play practically any instrument he puts his mind to, I just can't do it. Though I will admit I didn't try very hard.

Now however, I am very interested on the non-classical instruments… like the drums! Or a guitar.

Hint for this letter: I really want a guitar. Take that however you want.

() () () () () () ()

_Seventeen letters left Yahiro. Do you know any good music shops?_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro laughed at the idea of Megumi learning to play a loud instrument, feeling a little wary of the idea at the same time. If her voice sent off a Ray of Destruction, what havoc could she wreak playing an instrument?

He laid down on his bed. If she were nearby, which he had no idea about, the only good music store was seven hours away by car. Well, that was the only one he knew about. Chitose had gotten his drums there, right after buying Kei's brother Sui a guitar.

Still, it made searching easier. He'd just keep an eye out on any music stores selling guitars in a ten-mile radius. Then, if Megumi showed up at any of them, whoever was watching the store would follow her and report to Yahiro about her location.

Once he found her, Yahiro could do whatever it was he decided he was going to do. He'd figure that out when he found her.

It was just too bad things for Yahiro never went that smoothly…

* * *

YouTube has officially saved my life. My iPod is dead, I do not own headphones anymore, so the music plays on my computer while I do this… though finding the videos I want to listen to proves to be more difficult than I would wish… if you're putting a video up, please, please, PLEASE don't say it's a song when it's a completely different one. It was very random to click on one song and end up with a different one… oh well; I found it in the end. REVIEW PLEASE!


	10. J' is for

I feel like I'm really slow updating recently… but I finally finished this chapter! Whoo hoo! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own this manga, because if I did, I would not be writing this fan fiction, or this disclaimer for that matter.

* * *

Chapter 10: 'J' is for…

No luck at any of the music stores. She hadn't been seen at all by the watchers, but Yahiro figured that maybe she'd already bought the guitar, so he had the investigators interrogating the store clerks. Still no luck, because they all asked what she looked like, and the only clue he had was that she had really long hair. Not much to go on.

If only the letters hadn't been hand-delivered. If they were sent through the mail, the search could have been so much easier… by bribing the mailman, but still! But no, Megumi had to be difficult, and had someone deliver them. Then the maids put them in his room, but none of them knew where the letters came from either.

And then there was this letter, sitting on his desk.

_Hello Yahiro. It's been a couple days._

Yahiro scoffed. Try a week and a half!

_Okay, it's been a little longer than that. I just wanted to give you some search time. How's the search going for you?_

_From lack of progress, I'd say it's not going very well. So, here's your letter and your hint._

() () () () () () ()

'J' is for jokes.

Jokes, a plural noun for a sequence of words/actions that are humorous. My definition, not a dictionary's. You may have noticed that.

We never joked around much. I mean, you joked around all the time, teasing Kei and Hikari, but the two of us never really joked around with each other. I listen to everyone else kid around, but didn't join in like you did.

But we had our own inside joke, so all was well. The bike.

I'm laughing as I write this, on the inside. I have to protect my voice you see, and if I laugh out loud, I'll be expected to explain, which I don't feel like doing. But I want you to know, I still think this is funny. So I am laughing, just so you know.

Ah, the bike… we "borrowed" it from the American tourist when we were running from Ryuu and Jun on our date. And we laughed about it later. I remember the conversation still.

M: (on board) Did we ever return the bike?

Y: What bike?

M: (on board) The one we used to run away from Jun and Ryuu.

Y: No. We left it in the park where he could find it.

M: (on board) But-

Y: Listen idiot, do you know who he was? Because I don't feel like finding him.

You went to walk away and I spoke out loud this time. "Maybe his name is Bob!" It was the first name I could think of that sounded American. Then you laughed, called me an idiot, and told me to stop talking.

After that, we each made up names for our bike loaner. I don't remember them all, but it was **our** joke. No one else could understand it, and it made me happy.

So, here's a small list of names each of us gave.

Megumi: Bob, Dylan, Sam, Kevin, Hunter

Yahiro: Jake, Jeremy, Connor, Craig, Thomas

Do you remember any of the other names we thought of? The list could go on and on, and I forgot a lot of them.

So, your hint this time is… Bike Jokes! Have you heard anyone joking about bikes recently?

() () () () () () ()

_Sixteen letters let Yahiro. Philip!_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro chuckled, drawing the unnoticed attention of the couple outside his door. They hovered around to watch him, still unnoticed by Yahiro.

Yahiro could remember joking about the bike. It had begun as Megumi's rather lame attempt at conversation, and it soon became a game between the two. Every time they met, they came up with a new name for the unknown biker. It was entertaining, especially when the rest of the S.A. looked at them completely confused.

He also remembered hearing a lot of jokes at a restaurant two hours away. A restaurant by one of the music stores he was investigating, that he had been at only three days ago. Though that had been a group of boys talking about a girl and her…

Yahiro hit himself and swore silently. A girl and her old crush. Swearing out loud, he reached for his phone. He had to call the restaurant now. And he did not believe Megumi was over him yet.

The couple outside the door walked away slowly to avoid notice. The boy was dressed in the servant's uniform, and had brown spiked hair and laughing green eyes. He wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and walked out of Yahiro's earshot. "Well, I'd say this operation's going well; what do you think?"

The girl turned silently to him, with a smile in her brown eyes. Wavy brown hair flowed down to her knees, white ribbons tying it out of her eyes. She held up a magic board. **'**I** agree. Thank you for delivering the letters Sota.'**

"It's nothing," Sota waved off the tanks. "It's fun watching him fumble around after all you've told us about him. Want some cake?"

The girl looked torn, but shook her head. **'I've got to get back. Long ride.'**

Sota grinned. "Got a date sweetheart?"

The girl grinned as she shook her head and scribbled down her response.

**No date today. I've got a letter to write.**

* * *

All done with this chapter! REVIEW PLEASE! I want to know what all of you think of this!

Also, I'm not trying to be mean, but if you follow/favorite, or did both for this story, review as well! I want to know what you like so I can keep that part in, and keep the story interesting to read!


	11. K' is for

Hmm… I think it's time for a major update… school starts on Monday and I don't think I'll have much time to actually update for a while after it does… though please keep an eye out for updates! Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. Though if any of you can convince Maki Minami to give me this story so I didn't have to do this depressing disclaimer, I would enjoy that. But it will not happen, so only the plot is mine… and the OCs.

* * *

Chapter 11: 'K' is for…

Yahiro glanced at this desk, half-hoping and half-expecting another letter from Megumi. He tended to get edgy and twitchy when it took a long time for Megumi to write, especially since the letters came with hints to find her. It had only been two days, and as much as Yahiro hated to admit it, he needed another hint. Desperately.

Who was he kidding; he just wanted another letter. If he was honest, it made him feel happy that he was the only one she was writing to. And Yahiro always felt better when he got a letter, like finding something he had lost.

Of course, Yahiro liked to deny what he really felt, and now was no different. "I just want to find the idiot girl and win this game," he muttered to himself. Though nothing he was doing was helping to find her really. The restaurant had been a bust. There were no security cameras and no one had known the boys he had heard talking.

"Master Yahiro? Your mail?" A young boy with messy brown hair and joyful green eyes brought in a stack of mail.

"Doesn't a maid normally bring these?" Yahiro snapped, grabbing the pile.

"Well…yeah. But most of them are on vacation, so I have to do it. You're not supposed to be here after all, so they arranged to get vacation now."

"Where am I…?" Yahiro smacked himself mentally. He was supposed to be with the S.A. on the plane to Hawaii for the week. "You! Name!"

"Me? Sota Minami."

"Call Kei Takishima and tell him I'm not going to Hawaii," Yahiro said, closing the door on Sota and started scanning the letters. Love letter, business, bill, magazine… Aha! Megumi letter!

_Hello Yahiro. Are you ready for your trip to Hawaii?_

Yahiro scowled, frustrated. How in the world was she getting her information?

_Anyways, I was thinking about our first year of high school… the year Kei's grandfather tried to disband the S.A. to force Kei to go to London. So I wrote this._

So 'K' stood for Kei. Yahiro had expected that. It wasn't surprising at all, so he read on.

() () () () () () () () ()

'K' is for… kiss. I bet you thought it was for Kei, didn't you?

It's not.

Remember on top of Kei's grandfather's home, when I tried to knock out those guys with my singing? And then my voice wouldn't come out and those guys were being nasty and perverted? You came and helped me to sing, and that knocked the guys out easily.

Though that confused me afterwards… it was really weird… where'd you even come from anyways, and why did you come?

Back on topic, after that, I really thought you were going to kiss me, because you got so close. I was all flustered, because of that, and how scared I had been before you had come. You had come and helped me, stepped closer, and I could have sworn you leaned closer, and then…

Tadashi rode by. On your bike. Your very loud motorcycle. And then, the entire moment and atmosphere was ruined.

We stayed there, on top of the house together. There wasn't anything else we could do to help Kei. But you never tried to make another move, or try to kiss me, so I began to think I had imagined the attempted kiss.

So, the hint? It's nice to visit old haunts, where all your good memories were made… like friendship, hugs and kisses.

() () () () () () () () ()

_Fifteen letters left Yahiro. Did I imagine it?_

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro blushed slightly. He had no idea why he'd stayed with her, but he certainly hadn't gone there to help Kei. Sure, with Kei gone, things would be much less entertaining, but his first thoughts had been on a short brown-haired girl.

Not because he was particularly worried about her, mind you, but he had to make sure she didn't destroy her wonderful voice. Or get accosted by Takishima thugs.

Getting there was easy. He just went to London and gotten to her. Of course the attempted kiss wasn't imagined, but… well, he wasn't really going to kiss her! It was just to mess with her… but then he couldn't explain why he had gotten so mad at Tadashi for ruining the moment.

Good memories… The near kiss was in London, but he was pretty sure she wasn't hiding out there… but there was a place here… "Sota!" Yahiro called.

The boy popped in a short while later. "Yes? Anything you need?"

"Make excuses if anyone calls or comes looking for me." Yahiro normally had someone he knew and trusted to do this job, but he was in a hurry and Sota was nearby and easiest to get to. "I'm going out."

"What wait, what am I supposed…" Yahiro was already long gone, and Sota was alone in the room. Sota grinned mischievously at the thought of getting a call. "I guess it's up to me to make up the excuse."

Sota flopped down onto Yahiro's chair and began to look through the drawers lazily. In the bottom drawer, he discovered pictures of a certain brown-haired S.A. girl, the letters, and all the notes he'd taken about finding her.

"Well my girl," Sota said to himself, laughing inwardly at Yahiro's predicament. "You've certainly gotten him tied up in knots all right…"

* * *

Is it just me, or has this story gone by really fast? I feel like I was just on the beginning letters… Now there's only fifteen left for Yahiro… Hmm… Sad… I kinda want this story to drag on… Oh well… Review please!


	12. L' is for

So I'm just putting another chapter up… since I was not able to sleep at all… nor did I want to… using as much stay awake and sleep in time as I can in this last day of summer! So enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A., nor do I own the characters. I think that has been made clear…

* * *

Chapter 12: 'L' is for…

Yahiro stood at the entrance of the old greenhouse. The place had been a kind of home for the S.A., so it made sense Megumi had this on her list of places to visit. He just wasn't sure if she'd been there already or not.

"Only one way to find out." Yahiro eased open the door. It was strange being there alone, with no one else around. Everytime he'd been there, it had been loud and only one person had been missing, and she was the reason he was here in the first place.

Not much had changed in the greenhouse, except for the group of students who sat at the table on a daily basis. And the fact there was a crisp, white, unaddressed envelope with his name on it was on the table as well.

_Hello Yahiro. You figured out where to go. Good job._

Yahiro sat down in Megumi's spot, which up to now, had not been occupied by any of her group. Yahiro knew she'd sat here recently, but he also knew she was long gone by now. She wouldn't have risked staying nearby if she was trying not to get caught and she had planned for him to come here.

_The greenhouse hasn't changed all that much, has it? Though I did notice the animals are gone… I wonder where Tadashi's mom put them all… _

Yahiro chuckled. She'd had a hard time getting rid of all the animals, especially since the animals had all wandered back into the greenhouse for months after the S.A. had graduated.

_Oh well… I'm sure Ryuu found somewhere for all of them to go… probably wherever he's living now… Okay, here's 'L'._

() () () () () () () () () () ()

'L' is for love. Did you expect that? Because this was one of the easiest words to come up with, so you probably anticipated this one word showing up sometime.

I loved you. I loved you despite you being such a despicable guy. You are such a good person, even though you try to hide it and play the bad guy all of the time, letting everyone blame you. I saw that during our date, and I tripped then. I fell for you more and more everytime I saw you.

That's only one kind of love though. I love Jun, and Ryuu, and the rest of the S.A. I love the boys that I'm around that take care of me, even though I tell them not to. I even love the monkey Ryuu sent me through my parents, though it does throw poop at guests.

So many kinds of love Yahiro. I don't think I realized that when we were younger. Love can grow, or fade, or even morph into a different kind of love… and the possibilities are endless. One kind-Familial love: Jun of course! My twin, and when I think back, my closest friend. A second kind-Friend love: Hikari and Tadashi are good examples. They're my friends and I love them, but not the same way I love Jun or Ryuu. Then there's love for animals, like my monkey, which I've named Bobo by the way. And there's love, where you're **in** love.

So, that's what I think of love. And I think the love I felt for you years ago has morphed… less like feeling like I'm in love… but like you're a dear friend.

See, here's another thing about love. If you start out **in** love, you tend to fall out of it and become friends, unless you're lucky and meet your soul mate quickly. And if you start out as friends, it can grow into being in love. Do you get it?

I think you're probably relieved as you read this. After all, you wanted me to get over you. And how can someone stay in love after being rejected so many times? Especially when there are so many sweet, kind, and caring people around them? Wow, that was really off topic.

Anyways, here is your hint. I love my monkey, surprisingly, since I hated animals for taking Ryuu's attention away during first year of high school. Ask my parents or Ryuu, I would do **anything** for my monkey… including getting special brands of foods and toys.

() () () () () () () () () ()

_Fourteen letters left Yahiro. Love you!_

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro forced down the feeling that felt suspiciously like jealousy. She'd given up on him, just like he'd always wanted her to do. She could go out with a boy who wasn't scarred, who'd care for her and hold her, who would listen to her sing… and she would sing exclusively for that boy.

Yahiro clenched his fists. He didn't care about the monkey, or the ridiculous clues. He was too caught up in the idea of Megumi singing and dating another boy. The mere thought of it didn't make Yahiro happy, comfortable, relieved, or any other emotion he thought he'd feel when he found out she was over him. She'd just end up destroying her beautiful voice, and her bright smile would disappear and…

He couldn't hide it anymore. He was jealous. Jealous over a girl he didn't even like, and jealous of a boy he didn't know even existed. And he felt like an idiot.

He stopped his thinking, and shoved the letter into his pocket as he ran for his motorcycle outside of the greenhouse. Yahiro had to run, to do anything to get away from the feelings and realizations rising inside of him after being locked away mercilessly for years…

* * *

All done with the chapter! I hope you enjoyed this… And I hope I didn't mess up on anything… its like four in the morning and I haven't had any sleep… so to make me happy… REVIEW PLEASE! Hee hee, reviews rejuvenate me just as much as sleep, so help rejuvenate me so I can write more!


	13. M' is for

Yay for another chapter! Did anyone else realize that this moves very quickly? It's a little spooky… I'm really enjoying writing this… a lot! Of course, it's nice to see that other people are enjoying this too! So I have another chapter (this one of course) to put up before school starts! So please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own S.A. This depresses me as I write… I'm near tears writing these disclaimers… SOB!

* * *

Chapter 13: 'M' is for…

_Mickey, mice, monkey, mud… wait, monkey? She mentioned a monkey in her last letter, didn't she?_ Yahiro had spent trying to forget the last letter had ever existed and hidden it. He'd also spent it waiting for this one, which he hadn't had time to read this morning, so it was in his briefcase. Which sat next to his chair, distracting him while he should be focusing on the business matters being recited to him.

"Yes, that should be fine," Yahiro concluded, rushing to his office with his briefcase, ignoring the confused stares following him.

_Hello Yahiro! How are you?_

Yahiro scowled. He was mad quite obviously. He hadn't liked the last letter at all, and now Megumi's writing sounded very happy. It was like she enjoyed his pain. That used to be his job, to enjoy other people's pain.

_I'm great, since I'm sure you were going to ask after giving a reply. By the way, did you know Italian food is even more delicious under the stars with candles? Ooh, and so is Italian dessert!_

Yahiro's scowl deepened. That sounded like a date. A date Megumi had been on with another guy. That wasn't him. And dates tended to be between two people. Didn't anyone realize she should have had him with her on that date? Obviously not, since she was alone. On a date. With another guy. Without him.

A rather unpleasant thought. Yahiro fixed that problem by assuring himself that when he found Megumi, he'd find out who this boyfriend was and completely destroy him. Slowly and painfully destroy him and then he could…

_By the way, there is no way I'm telling you who I was eating with. Not from yesterday, last week, or whenever. You are getting no names from me. My dates are my business. Same as any of your dates are yours._

_ Anyways, let me get back to the real topic. Here's your letter Yahiro!_

() () () () () () () () () ()

'M' is for motorcycle. Not monkey, which I had planned, but I figured that won't help you all that much.

So, here it is… I HATE YOUR MOTORCYCLE! HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!

There, that's off my chest… Okay, I'll be fair, I didn't hate it until Tadashi rode by us in London on the roof. Then it just got worse. It was noisy, and smelt bad, and all the risks of riding a motorcycle… I just really hate that motorcycle!

So, before I go into a detailed rant of the exact reasons I despise the motorcycle, I will just cut this short and give you your hint.

I wish… to destroy all motorcycles. You figure out what that means.

() () () () () () () () () ()

_Thirteen letters left Yahiro. Your motorcycle ruined my good mood from the Italian food!_

_ -Megumi_

Yahiro laughed out loud, drawing even more unnoticed confused stares. Megumi had never liked riding on the motorcycle, but he had forced her to before she left. Looking back, he could admit to himself and no one else that he'd enjoyed having her hold onto him. She had been so terrified, it made him feel like the protector… and it was something else to tease her about.

Though he really hadn't thought she'd grow to want every motorcycle destroyed. That was an amusing thought actually, Megumi destroying a motorcycle with a sledgehammer. Just picturing the tiny Megumi trying to pick up a motorcycle was amusing really.

One of the workers watching grinned as Yahiro continued to laugh. Brushing black hair out of equally black eyes, he turned to adjust his name plate identifying him as Kenta Takashi. Kenta pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down his contacts to send a message: Megumi.

**'He read it. Want me to drop the pamphlets?** Kenta picked them out of his briefcase, grinning at the picture of the smashed motorcycles. Megumi really, really hate motorcycles and had picked out the picture herself.

A few minutes later, Kenta got a reply. **'Yes please. I'll get Mitsuru ready for his part.'**

** 'Ok, I'm on it. While you do that, I'll tell Sota to ready the twins.'** Kenta texted back.

Megumi replied quickly, probably ready to start her next letter.** 'Thanks. Talk to you later.'**

Kenta spun in his chair to check up on his boss and victim to see Yahiro rereading the letter and beamed. "Well Boss, you've gotten yourself hooked by her," Kenta murmured. "How long until you fully realize it yourself?"

* * *

And this is the end of the chapter. What I have just now realized is that this means Yahiro has received half of his letters from Megumi. Which means it's time for both of them to up the stakes… mwahaha! Review please! Please review! I want to know what you all think!

By the way, the stuff in bold in the end are all text messages, because I know it can be confusing!


	14. N' is for

I decided I wanted to get this last chapter up for the morning… but I might do another chapter at night if I can get online! So… enjoy!

Disclaimer: For the 14th depressing time, I do not own S.A. Cry, sob, break down… all that. Mentally, or I wouldn't have the sense to say I don't own the manga…

* * *

Chapter 14: 'N' is for…

Yahiro sat on his couch on Sunday morning, two days after his last letter. For now he stared blankly at the door, remembering a time Megumi had come in asking him t go out with her. Of course, back then he was staring out of the window, not sitting on the couch.

"Master Yahiro? Breakfast is done." Sota walked into the room, without his trademark grin. "It looks great too…" His grumbling stomach reminded him that it was Yahiro's fault he hadn't eaten, and he was delivering Yahiro's breakfast.

"The mail?"

Sota sighed. And there was the source of the problem. Since the canceled Hawaii trip, and Yahiro reading the 'L' letter, Sota had been made Yahiro's personal slave, running errands that basically consisted of making sure he ate and checking the mail. Of course, since it was Sota delivering Megumi's letters, it made his job easier, but Yahiro made his life hell. "I've got the mail here."

For the life of him, Sota just couldn't see what Megumi liked about Yahiro. Yeah, Yahiro had his moments, especially when he was protecting his friends, but Sota much preferred Megumi with her ex at the moment. Sota would do anything for Megumi, but this… was wearing a bit on the nerves.

"Hand it over." Sota obeyed, wishing Megumi and Mitsuru had never broken up and he didn't have to deal with this. He even envied Kenta at the moment, and Kenta's workload was twice as taxing.

"Make sure you eat some food as well," Sota said, fleeing before Yahiro could come up with another task for him. He also didn't want to be in the same room as him when he found Megumi's letter. He'd been watching, and Yahiro's reactions weren't always safe for bystanders.

Yahiro found the letter and tore it open.

_ Hello Yahiro. I saw you at the destruction derby. Well, through the videos. I couldn't be there unfortunately._

Yahiro frowned. He hadn't seen any cameras there.

_One of my friends did me a favor and videotaped it for me so I could watch all those stupid motorcycles get crushed. He caught you on the tape, so I know you were there. You're figuring out some stuff pretty quickly. I'll have to be more careful, won't I?_

No, she wouldn't. Yahiro was having a hard enough time finding her already.

_ Anyways, I watched the tape and seeing all the motorcycles get destroyed… only a seven layer cake with lots of frosting could possibly be better than that._

Yahiro grinned. These letters sent his emotions into a crazy mess, but Megumi made most of them enjoyable. Some weren't so amusing, but… still! Plus, even if she was mad, and that's why she was tormenting him, as soon as Yahiro found her, he'd buy her a cake and be in Megumi's good graces again.

_Anyways, this will be another short letter, because I don't really have that much time today. So here it is!_

() () () () () () () () () ()

'N' is for notebook. Which really is to be expected seeing as I wrote in a notebook daily.

Which is all of it really. That's the importance of it. I wrote instead of spoke, and when I tried to talk to you, you told me to shut up and write down what I wanted people to know. After you said it was weird. Can you blame me for doing both? Because that seriously confused me.

I still use a notebook by the way. I don't speak to people that often.

So your hint this time is… hmm… I don't want to make this too obvious… Well, just look where I dropped a notebook into a large body of water.

() () () () () () () () () ()

_Twelve letters left Yahiro. This one was shorter than I thought it would be…_

_ -Megumi_

"A large body of water?" Yahiro frowned in thought until he heard running in the hall.

"Get back here you little brats!" As Yahiro heard Sota yell, two identical boys charged into the room, holding a bunch of papers and a tray of more food. They grinned at Yahiro, both having a mischievous spark in brown eyes.

"Ko! Kohaku! Get out of there!" Sota entered the room after them and tried to grab at them, only to get the tray of food thrown at him.

"Help us!" The boys ran towards Yahiro and hid behind him. Hiding behind Yahiro, only small bits of brown hair peeked out from his sides. The boys couldn't be more than eight years old, so they were much shorter than Yahiro.

"Master Yahiro, I'm sorry about my brothers," Sota apologized. "I don't know what they're doing here. They're supposed to be with my parents. Now you two, get over here!"

Yahiro noticed a brochure in one of the boy's hands. "Hold on. You…"  
"I'm Ko!" the boy was beaming at Yahiro.

"Can I see that?"

"Sure!" Yahiro opened the brochure. The view was very familiar… "Planning a vacation Sota?"

"We want to send our parents on a honeymoon after their wedding next month," Sota replied. "They won't go on one unless we plan it."  
"I see…" So the boys here were to be Sota's stepbrothers. No matter. That was easy enough to check up on. "Sota, cancel my appointments for the next week. I have a trip to make."  
"Another… I am not a secretary! Aargh, fine!" Sota waited until Yahiro was long gone to send his grin at the twins. "Good job guys. Let's tell Megumi about all this, and then I'll get you guys some ice cream."

* * *

Yep… short. Again. Megumi doesn't spend a lot of time to write long letters anymore… hmm… that has to be fixed… EVENTUALLY! Long letters will resume soon! Anyways, please review!


	15. O' is for

Here's the last chapter I can do for this story before I start school tomorrow… sad right? Oh wells… I can't believe I'm over halfway done… So I wanted to give a big THANK YOU to all the readers, favoriters, followers, and the reviewers! It's all because of all of you that I continued to write this and stay so excited about starting a new chapter! So thank you! Enjoy this!

A special thanks to **Mamoru4ever** who lent me her computer when I had no internet to do this, gave me encouragement, and almost blackmailed to keep writing all my stories. Also, just for making me laugh about the rambling I forced her to listen to when I came up with ideas. So a special thanks to her!

Disclaimer: I do not own S.A. If only I did so I didn't have to do this depressing disclaimer…

* * *

Chapter 15: 'O' is for…

Yahiro stared at the sunset, sitting on the sand of the almost empty beach. This was the same area Megumi had dropped her notebook, but she hadn't shown up, even after three days of practically living at the beach. Yahiro sighed, glancing around in the slight hope Megumi would get clumsy and show herself. No such luck.

"Looking for someone?" A tall boy with longish black hair and disdainful gray eyes stood behind Yahiro, a smirk on his face.

"Uh…yeah." Yahiro described what he thought Megumi would look like now.

"You lost your girlfriend?" The boy scorned. "That's lame. How'd you chase her off?"

"She's…" Wait, maybe it would be easier if people though Megumi was his girlfriend. He'd at least get less awkward questions.

"I'm Mitsuru by the way," the boy said, smirking at Yahiro. His body language was a little like Yahiro's, and now that he had seen Yahiro, decided to play his own game. "So, who's this girl you're looking for?"

"Her name's Megumi Yamamoto," Yahiro replied. Mitsuru's smirk got more pronounced.

"Megumi? Oh, now I know who you're talking about." Mitsuru stretched and put his arms behind his head. "Exactly who you're talking about."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Not at the moment. She moves around a lot." Mitsuru shrugged. It wasn't technically a lie, since he had no idea the exact area she was. Somewhere near the beach wasn't very specific. Though he could assume she was with Kenta at the summer house…

Mitsuru pulled out the white envelope Megumi had left with him to drop off. "She left this for you though. Yahiro, right?"

Yahiro grabbed the letter. "Where was she when she gave this to you?"

The other boy didn't answer, looking at his phone instead. **'Mitsuru! Summer house! Get over here now!' **

"Got to go," he drawled, strolling away easily. He had no problem following Megumi's order; he had messed with Yahiro's head enough.

"Hey!"

Mitsuru glanced back. "I'd read that if I were you. My girl won't be too pleased if you don't… but then again, she'd win the game and we can go back to normal. Well, bye!"

Yahiro was seeing all kinds of red as he watched Mitsuru walk off. **His** girl? What was Megumi thinking, hanging around a boy that would treat her like a toy and never see her for her? And how dare that stupid boy think to claim her? If Yahiro ever got the chance he'd…

The letter crumpled in tight fists. This pissed him off. The sooner he found Megumi, the sooner he could get this settled and tell Megumi exactly how angry he was with her. After he made sure she couldn't run off again.

Of course after he did that, he could pester Mitsuru's last name and any personal information out of Megumi and annihilate him. By the time Yahiro was done with him, there wouldn't be a cave dark or deep enough for him to hide in.

Of course, he had to find Megumi first, so he should read the letter.

_Hello Yahiro. The beach is really pretty, wouldn't you agree? Especially at night… it's empty and the ocean's reflecting the stars… its beautiful! I had a picture of it in Hawaii, on the camera you so __**graciously**__ returned to Jun._

Yahiro rolled his eyes. He hadn't been that mean to Jun. In fact, considering the circumstances, he'd been perfectly polite.

_Anyways, you're at the ocean, so it should be easier to picture everything. And if all went well, the beach should have been crowded enough that you wouldn't have seen my contact. Or the cameras taping your reaction when you found this in your area._

He'd seen her 'contact' all right, and from what he read, could assume that Mitsuru had acted on his own. And no, he hadn't seen any cameras, and that was a little creepy.

_Okay, enough babble. I'll get to the point now._

() () () () () () ()

'O' stands for ocean. I would think it was obvious, since you're in front of one. Or were in front of one, depending on where you are now.

Anyways, we all came to this ocean for Akira's birthday. We had this huge celebration and there were all the friends, relatives, friends of relatives… well, I'm sure you get the picture. You were there after all.

If you look where the Snack Bar is, you will see where everyone put Akira's presents. There were so many, enough to drown in! I r remember wondering if Akira would even be able to open them all… and I don't think she did.

Right next to those was the buffet table. My favorite area, besides next to all the S.A. members. There was a lot of good food there…

It was also at night, so the ocean was amazing beautiful, and there were torches to light the area. Can't you just see the scene if you close your eyes? It was so amazing that night, and it could have been very romantic. Well, it could be when you walked a little bit away from the crowd.

Which I did, because I was feeling a little trapped. I just wanted to walk alone on the beach to clear my head. I ended up with two companions on that walk… you and the other boy.

Of course, you didn't start out walking with me. You just popped in after I started walking with another boy and finally had gotten comfortable talking to him. Why did you just barge in?

It was probably for Akira, right? And to make sure I didn't use my voice and risk ruining it by talking.

So, since you were trying to stop me from talking, and I was glaring at you, I tripped and my notebook decided to take a swim. Perfect timing on the clumsiness on my part. So the other boy helped us try to fish the notebook out, but it was ruined. And in the end, I had to speak! So ha!

Anyways, I just wanted to bring this up, because the party was fun until my notebook decided to drown. Also, I couldn't think of another 'O' word except for orange, and well… that was ridiculous.

And here's your hint: Who was the other boy I walked with that? Can you figure that out?

() () () () () () ()

_Eleven letters left Yahiro. You're running out of time._

_-Megumi_

So this letter did not make him Yahiro feel any better. He was feeling bad enough about Mitsuru existing, he didn't need this… He didn't need to feel the bitterness in some of the lines Megumi had written.

He hadn't even thought about Akira or her voice when he'd gone after her. All he could see was Megumi leaving the safety of the crowd, and walking with a stranger.

Had he really pushed her away, only protecting her for Akira or her voice?

The other boy… he hadn't paid much attention to him. Yahiro had been watching Megumi, and trying to get her to stop talking. The only thought he'd spared for the other boy was that he didn't deserve to hear Megumi's voice; that was only for Yahiro.

Though he could probably find out… he'd just need to go to Akira and get the invite list for that year… the same year Megumi had left.

But he didn't need to do that now. He'd spend a few more days here, recover from work, and rediscover the places Megumi had dragged him when they had all been here. Maybe it was time to just go along, and let her be the only thing he thought of for a while…

* * *

All done! …..Okay, I am not so happy about that. I'm going to miss this during school… but I will try to update at least once a month! …Though that's not much… Please review anyways and keep an eye out for updates!


	16. P' is for

MBP: I know it hasn't really been that long… but to me, it feels like it has… I really miss the days I could get a bunch of chapters up for people to read… But thanks to school and theatre, those days are gone… at least until winter break, by which time, this might actually be done… bad thought!

Rini: Duh! That's just a dumb thing to put down!

MBP: Oh yeah, I should introduce Rini. She is the horrible side effect of getting homework in chem, tests in Japanese 3, color wheels and charts in Art, and getting a whole new theatre class to get to know in Advanced Theatre in the first day of school. Add outside theatre, which I don't really mind, and I have officially gone crazy, and she is now a permanent fixture in my head.

Rini: SO, anyways, MBP here is having a hard time focusing on the important stuff… like this fanfic! So read and enjoy or I'll…"

MBP: Ah, let's go to the disclaimer now! I don't own S.A! (Sobs)

Rini: Oh, stop crying about it already! Enjoy readers!

* * *

Chapter 16: 'P' is for…

Yahiro wasn't focusing at all. Work wasn't difficult, but he could swear he was having a mental breakdown. Mixed with self-destructive anger.

Mitsuru. Megumi's boyfriend. Also the boy at Akira's party. Just thinking of him made him furious. And seeing that was the only thing he could think of, his desk and walls had more holes and dents than they did substance.

Sota was terrified. He loved Megumi and all, but Yahiro was the scariest angry person that Sota had ever seen. And that was including Megumi, even with her 'Ray of Destruction' voice.

"Master Yahiro? Mail?"

Yahiro merely turned, grabbed the mail, and sent him out before throwing all the non-Megumi letters onto the ground.

_Hi Yahiro… I want to apologize for Mitsuru's behavior the other day._

"Idiot girl! Don't apologize for your good-for-nothing boyfriend!" Yahiro growled to himself.

_He's not normally so messed up… though he does act like you a lot. Games, pranks, messing with people's heads… I shudder at the thought of you two ever becoming friends._

That was not likely to ever happen. And Yahiro seriously doubted that idiot Mitsuru was anything like him.

_Anyways, you're probably pretty mad._

What an understatement!

_So… (pokes excessively) Talk. Come on Yahiro, talk to me! Tell, tell, tell! Remember?_

() () () () () () ()

'P' is for poke. Poke. Hmm… Kinda an easy one to figure out.

So, every time one of us was angry or depressed and wouldn't talk about it, the other would poke them. A lot, and pester them to tell them what's wrong.

We did that a lot to each other. Except you tended not to talk, and just insulted me, and I hid everything until you guessed right, and I either yelled or cried.

So we ended up poking a lot. Without getting answers, just some very painful pokes and bruises.

And you are angry now, right? Tell someone! I am mentally poking you until you do!

Hint: Where did most of the poking take place?

() () () () () () ()

_Ten letters left Yahiro. POKE!_

_-Megumi_

The anger was gone now, to be replaced by confusion and laughter. While he continued to laugh, he figured out exactly where most of the poking had occurred.

Here. In his house.

However, there was no possible way Megumi was in his house. Her friend perhaps? But Megumi wasn't anywhere in anyone's extensive background information…

Of course, now that would bother him until he got the next letter. And the feelings he got when he thought of Megumi thinking of him enough to mentally poke him would definitely distract him from any constructive work.

However, if he was learning anything from these letters, it was that letting the work go, and just feeling, was a lot better for him than anything success or riches could give him…

* * *

MBP: Well, there it is… I can't believe there's only ten letters left! (Sobs again)

Rini: Oh wow… she's lame, isn't she? Crying all the time… The story can't continue forever, can it? I don't think so! (MBP continues to cry) Didn't you have something you needed to tell them? Another fanfic?

MBP: Oh yeah! Umm… well… I got another S.A. fanfic up called Ten Things… Well… I'd really appreciate it if you'd read that…

Rini: Just read it please! She'll probably cry again if you don't!

MBP: You're a figment of my imagination… you don't exist!

Rini: I'm not leaving unless at least 3 readers send a review saying they hate me.

MBP: (sigh) Well, please review and tell me what you think… I could use some uplifting, and any reviews would be welcome… I never got my cast list, so I don't know if I got into a show, so I am sad.

Rini: Hee hee! This is really short MBP; you need to make the next one longer, nee? (sobbing is heard) Baka, stop crying and end it!

Both: Read and Review please!


	17. Q' is for

MBP: Help me… I am stuck… with Rini… and I swear… she doesn't plan to leave…

Rini: No, I do not. I plan to be here until all your fanfics are done and over with… and that won't be for a while!

MBP: Well… I do not own S.A. I am getting over the sense of depression that little sentence gives me.

Rini: No she's not… but it doesn't change. She doesn't own S.A. But enjoy the chapter anyways!

* * *

Chapter 17: 'Q' is for…

Yahiro was insane. He just knew it. The idiot had gotten to him.

_Poke. Poke. Poke._ Yahiro could swear he heard Megumi saying the word over and over in his head. It never ended…

And she hadn't written, which meant no hint. And with only a month until Christmas, it didn't leave him much time.

He had decided he'd find her before Christmas, and she'd be the S.A's gift from him. And he needed to talk to her, seriously, and that seemed to be the best time for it.

But she still hadn't written. So he had not new clues and only ten letters, and a month to find her. All because he couldn't figure out what she meant by something being in his house.

"Sota!" Yahiro called. Sota didn't come, mainly because Yahiro had more and more mood swings lately. He called again.

Still no reply.

"SOTA!" The boy finally appeared, with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Yeah, I know… I didn't come when you called," Sota said. "But, I did get the mail, so that's why I was so late. You've been checking it religiously since…" _Since Megumi sent you the letter 'P'… man, am I curious or what? I want to know what she's writing to him!_

Yahiro watched the boy. He was a good worker, but Yahiro wasn't sure he would trust him to tell him about Megumi. Sota smiled as he handed over the mail. "Don't forget to eat today, Master Yahiro. You've lost some weight."

Ridiculous. Yahiro checked discreetly to make sure. Darn it, Sota was right! "I will. Get me some waffles."

"I'll get the kitchen started on it." Sota turned to leave.

"I want the Takishima cook to make them," Yahiro said, just to be difficult. "Go tell Kei that. Don't come back without the Takishima waffles."

"O-okay…" Sota had a feeling he was doing it just to bother him. "I'll be back then."

Yahiro paused before opening it. What could this letter say?

_Poke. Poke. Poke._ Well, it couldn't say anything worse than having the mental poking continue.

_Hello Yahiro. Have you told anyone? I've been poking you._

Oh, he couldn't tell at all! He hadn't noticed her voice saying 'Poke' in his head at least three million times a day for the past week!

_So, I figured this is a good time to write. Only a month 'til Christmas… I'm so excited! I love this season… All the decorations start to come up, and it's like a fairy tale… so gorgeous… any girl can make herself feel like a princess… or anything she wants to be!_

Megumi as a princess… because Yahiro could see it so perfectly, he tried to shove the thought away, and continued to read.

_Anyways… here is your letter!_

() () () () () () ()

'Q' is for queen. Let me explain this one…

Like I said, this season makes me think of royalty. Fairy tale royalty at least. It can make a girl feel like she's special, beautiful, and royal. The one season someone can feel that without being hurt by another person's words… unless that person did it deliberately.

So that's part of it.

The other part is that someone close to me said, "When a boy loves a girl, he will always make her feel like a queen".

I can't say anyone's ever made me feel like a queen. Mitsuru was more the type to make me feel like a princess, not like the one and only in his heart. The other boys treated me like a fragile piece of glass to protect me. I was Jun's sister, so to Sakura, I was a princess…

What is the difference between a princess and a queen, you may ask? A queen is special. A queen is the only one a king can see… and the only one who has the power to hurt, heal, and love her king completely. A princess is replaceable… by another princess.

You treated Akira like a queen, even if she didn't notice it. You were willing to take any hit for her, take her pain, take her blame, just to protect her. She was your love, your one and only.

I wasn't Akira.

So, before this gets more personal and emotional, I'll drop the personal clips. There, they're going, going, gone!

A prince will look for his princess… only one can be a queen from those. A princess will watch the prince to see how he feels… she doesn't want to act for fear of being rejected. A princess doesn't take the first step…unless she really loves the prince.

A real prince won't hurt the one he loves. He'd tell the princess how he feels, get the confession out, and even if HE'S the one rejected, he'd let her go, wait for her, let her be happy. A real princess will do the same thing.

So, what am I now? Am I a princess, a queen, royalty… or am I just the pauper I've always seemed to be?

Hint: Who do we know that is a queen?

() () () () () () ()

_Nine letters left Yahiro… _

_-Megumi_

Yahiro sighed, and flopped down onto the ground. She sure was being blunt, but he couldn't agree with her. She was using personal moments, and real people… and for the life of him, couldn't see how he fit into the role of prince. Any prince.

No, she wasn't Akira. Akira was strong, kind, and in love with Tadashi. Megumi… Megumi was… she was so much more. Everything she did was emphasized, more important than what anyone else did. He had never been able to realize it before.

When he found her, he'd make her see it… she was his queen… and he'd never let her go… not to Mitsuru, not to any boy, and not to disappear again.

So he'd figure out this hint. It was easy… Finn. She was a real princess, and when she married, even to a commoner, she'd be a queen. And since she was practically engaged to Ryuu already, she might as well be a queen now. But how was that connected to Megumi?  
Well, he didn't have that long to find out… and he had to now. The stakes were a lot higher than they had been before… and this was one game he couldn't lose…

* * *

MBP: Wowzers… This was very personal and dramatic… I pictured it more… happy…

Rini: You pictured 'C' to be happy too… can you not write happy things?

MBP: You weren't around then! How did you know that?

Rini: I have my ways… hee hee… anyways, review readers, and tell us what you think of this chapter!


	18. R' is for

MBP: Sorry, it's been a while since I updated… School sucks!

Rini: Sure, blame it on school… rehearsal didn't cut into it at all I'm sure!

MBP: Okay, it did… but I like rehearsal, so leave it alone! I got it done, didn't I?

Rini: Sure…

MBP: OKAY, MOVING ON! Oh, and I have an announcement, so please read the bottom too!

Rini: Yeah yeah… she doesn't own S.A!

* * *

Chapter 18: 'R' is for…

Yahiro looked at his pile of work, wishing he could dump it onto someone else. However, due to the holidays, all but two of the people he normally shoved it on were getting ready for vacation, or were on vacation, or were trying to find a date for vacation. And the two who were there were busy doing other work. So now he was stuck doing the stupid work, and trying to figure out where the idiot Megumi was, and organizing the holiday party for the S.A.

"President?" A man Yahiro didn't recognize knocked on his door, using the title everyone at work used for him.

"What?"

"A Sakura Ushikubo on line one for you." Yahiro groaned at the news. Sakura may be a friend, but he didn't want to have to talk to her at the moment. Or listen to her, since she tended to ramble on and on.

"Also, some kid dropped this off, said you knew him." The man had a letter in his hand. "Just said that his name was Mitsuru."  
Yahiro jumped up and grabbed the letter. "I'll take this; tell Sakura I'm too busy to talk to her right now."

"Sure President. Hey, want me to take some of this work off your hands?"

"Go ahead… who are you?" Yahiro paused to look up at the men.

"Kenta Takashi. I do paperwork and other stuff out there." Ah, yes, one of the newer people. He had been recruited right out of college for exceptional thinking skills.

"Yes, take some of this. Don't let anyone disturb me for at least an hour." Yahiro dismissed Kenta and ripped open the letter.

_Hello Yahiro. Sorry, I didn't mean to take a week, but I got sick, and barely able to move… They'll come faster, I promise._

Which meant more hints. Unfortunately, he was still lost, especially since he still didn't understand how Finn added up to this, nor the poking, or anything else. He had to find her thought… he was the one who should be by her, helping her, and just being there!

_So… how's your holiday season coming along? I always find gift-buying the hardest thing about it._

Yahiro hit himself. He'd been so busy trying to juggle work, planning, and Megumi-hunting that he'd completely forgotten to get gifts. Oh well, he still had time and he doubted Chitose would notice a last minute gift if it came down to it. Even if he'd been shopping for a while, Chitose would still like Sui's gift better… Yahiro really needed to figure out how to deal with that soon.

_Anyways, here your letter Yahiro!_

() () () () () () ()

'R' is for rose.

I like roses. They're absolutely beautiful, blooming the way they do. I even appreciate the thorns. It's a beautiful piece of nature trying to protect itself. Even in the face of adversity, they strive to bloom and grow to become beautiful.

Much like us humans when you think about it. In times of trouble, we either break down, or the best of us comes out.

Keeping in flower terms, those that break down would be like weeds I guess. And I've often wondered which one I would be… and I've spent a lot of time considering the subject… what am I? I don't think I'll find out until some trying time, or during rigorous trials.

I've also considered you, and all the others in the S.A., and all our other friends. Which ones of you would be roses, and which of you would be weeds… I couldn't figure it out. That's for all of you, each individual, to decide for yourselves.

What are you Yahiro? A rose or a weed?

Hint: Where did the rose come from?

() () () () () () ()

_Eight letters left Yahiro. Happy Holiday Season!_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro's face scrunched up in confusion. "What rose?" He muttered, before leaning back and closing his eyes.

He knew what Megumi was. Megumi was a rose. She couldn't possibly be anything else. She had stayed by him in their first year, and then had the courage to leave and make her own life. He knew she'd bloomed magnificently, and he hadn't even seen her to know for sure.

Yahiro, on the other hand, was the weed. If anything troubling happened, he retreated into his shell, pushing everyone away by playing the bad guy.

And everyone knew that even one weed could kill the rose…

But he couldn't stay away. For better or worse, he'd find her… and never let go.

() () () () () () ()

When he finally got home at two fifty-six in the morning, the first thing Yahiro did was head to his room, ready to collapse. All hints of weariness disappeared when he saw what lay on his pillow.

A single, perfect, solitary white rose…

* * *

MBP: There's this chapter! Review please!

Rini: Serious again!

MBP: This is a serious story! So leave it alone!

Rini: …Fine. Anyways, please review it, and if you're wondering what the rose meaning is, just look below! And MBP has an announcement to make!

MBP: Okay, I had some story ideas, and I thought since I couldn't decide which one to write next, I'd let people vote on them and the one with most votes would be the next written. The vote goes on until September 30! The summaries and titles for them will be down below, under the rose meanings! And the votes on 'I Love' too, so only vote once please!

**Rose meaning:**

A white rose means: Purity, Innocence, Silence, Secrecy, Reverence, Humility, Youthfulness, "I am worthy of you", and Heavenly.

A solitary rose means: Simplicity or Gratitude.

**One True Song:** Yahiro's the arrogant yet kind prince. Megumi's a gentle, loving mermaid who falls in love. After making a deal to become human in exchange for her voice, can she make Yahiro love her back in time? (LOOSELY based of Little Mermaid… VERY LOOSELY!)

**Bad Romance: **Chaos. Cupid has everything mixed up. Yahiro now loves Megumi, who loves Tadashi. Tadashi fell in love with a cake, Jun's in love with Hikari, who fell for Finn, who still loves Ryuu. Ryuu is torn between Alisa and Akira who both love Aoi, who's obsessed with Kei of course. Sakura loves Kei. And Kei? He fell in love with a squirrel. (Got the idea from 'Fate's Mistake' but I got permission to do this!)

**Wounded Love (Title may change):** "Your parents are dead." The Yamamoto twins are alone now, penniless for a month until the insurance arrives. Lucky for them, they've got their friends to give them jobs! But when Megumi unknowingly becomes a maid in the Saiga household, her heart's been closed off to everyone. Can Yahiro heal her wounded heart, and will romance bloom between them? Or will the darkness in Megumi's heart keep the two apart?

MBP: And that's all!

Rini: Glad you're happy… When are you going to have time to write these?

MBP: I had time to write this and 'I Love' didn't I? Oh, I got 'I Love' up too!

Rini: Good point… well, please review and vote to make her happy and give her inspiration to write faster!


	19. S' is for

MBP: NEXT CHAPTER!

Rini: Okay, okay, announce the winner!

MBP: The next story with the most votes is… "Wounded Love!" WHOO HOO!

Rini: She's more excitable than me… well, she doesn't own S.A! Enjoy! Read and Review please!

* * *

Chapter 19: 'S is for…'

Yahiro stared at the rose on his desk. Over the last three days, she'd had no luck finding its origin, or Megumi's whereabouts. It wasn't very good for his mental stability, and his work, so he was taking a long vacation. For the next month, he wasn't working on anything but Megumi-hunting.

Except his deadline for finding her was Christmas. Which upped the stakes and his stress level.

_Where is Sota with the mail?_ Yahiro drummed his fingers for a few minutes before calling. "SOTA!"

"Coming!" Sota knocked on the door repeatedly, until Yahiro was forced to open it for him. "Here's… the mail…"

Sota was barely recognizable behind the giant packages and boxes he was carrying.

"What are those?" Yahiro asked.

"Christmas packages," Sota sighed in relief as he placed them into a pile. "Here are the letters and the cards. A lot of them from the fan girls."

Yahiro grimaced, but found what he was looking for. Megumi's letter. "Good, good, go put the fan girl stuff in storage. And get more of the Takishima cook's waffles. With raspberry syrup this time, not blueberry."

"What? But I…" Yahiro's expectant glare made him rethink his decision to flirt with the pretty maid dusting outside. "I'm going now."

"I thought so," Yahiro mumbled, opening the letter.

_Hello Yahiro! How's the gift shopping going for you?_

Better than expected… Chitose now had a new, soundproof studio for him and Sui to start their band in waiting for him. Akira was getting the new European cookbook she'd been wanting, and Tadashi was getting something useful… a campsite cooking kit. Kei and Hikari were getting a new competition area; they'd destroyed the last one. He'd gotten Ryuu another area for his animals, Sakura a new jet, (she'd ruined the last one chasing Jun), and Jun got a new set of musical instruments. He wasn't sure what to get for Megumi's gift though…

_Mine's pretty good so far! I'm enjoying finding the perfect gift for everyone! Most of my shopping's done though… It's a bit sad…_

Yahiro wondered if she'd gotten gifts for the S.A members… for him really. And if she'd gotten a gift for Mitsuru. That wasn't a good thought to think of… it was another reason to beat the guy to a bloody pulp.

_Oh well! I'll find something else fun to do for the rest of this season! Here's your letter!_

() () () () () () ()

'S' is for song.

They have meaning, you know? Each song uses different lyrics, music, and expression to convey a message to the people listening.

I like to think the song I sang to you on our 'date' was a hopeful one, one to bring the strength to dream and wish for change.

I've sung a lot of different songs over the years, the majority of them being my own lyrics and recorded on my own… with some help. Thought I've performed foreign music as well… I'm especially fond of musicals though!

Even with all that experience though, I haven't gotten a producer for two reasons. One, that gives everyone a way to find me when I don't want to be found. And two… I can't find my song.

No matter what I write, and no matter what I sing, it doesn't feel right. Something's… missing almost. I'm happy, I love to sing but… something changed when I left. Something from my singing stayed there when I left.

Until then, I sing on my own for my loved ones. And here's your hint.

Hint: Musicals- Rent, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera

() () () () () () ()

_Seven letters left Yahiro._

_-Megumi_

Musicals… what kind of hint was that? And from what Yahiro knew, those three musicals had nothing in common except for being in this letter. Well, he had the time to do the research now, so no big deal.

The rest of the letter though… Yahiro just wasn't sure if he was pleased or unhappy about how she hadn't gotten a producer. On the plus side, unworthy idiots in the world wouldn't hear her pure, beautiful voice… on the downside, it was harder to find her, and Yahiro was sure Mitsuru was one of her loved ones.

It did make him happy that she'd left something, even something intangible, behind when she left. It meant she'd have to come back to find it eventually… except when she did, Yahiro wouldn't let her slip away so easily…

* * *

MBP: Short, but finished!

Rini: Tell me you have longer, less serious chapters coming up… please…

MBP: Have to read and find out! Review please!

Rini: And please keep an eye out for "Wounded Love", which will come eventually… like when some chaptered stories are finished…

MBP: They'll get done soon! Hope you enjoyed and please review!


	20. T' is for

MBP: Well... its been a while... sorry everyone...

Rini: She's just all out of whack because of school and the fact its November. And almost Thanksgiving, so please don't hate her for anything depressing she writes.

MBP: Well... here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Rini: And review! Reviews mean happier MBP, which means happier stories, which means good things! Not to mention she updates sooner!

MBP: I don't own anything! ...Wow, so much easier to admit that now! Wait, I own the plot for "Letters for Yahiro"... but that's it! Enjoy!

* * *

"T is for..."

Yahiro was laying on his bed, blasting music through his headphones, trying to block out Chitose and Sui's attempt at making music. Their poor attempt at making music at that. One thing he couldn't wait for Christmas for: he'd never have to hear it again... unless they broke the soundproof studio, and from the sounds they made, they might be the first to accomplish that feat.

And it was pointless thinking about it, so he went about thinking about Megumi''s letters.

There was nothing linking the musicals that Megumi had listed, nothing! Nothing he could find anyways, even with the best resources possible. So not only was he frustrated about not being able to progress in his search to find her, he was irritated at that awful noise his brother and Sui continued to make.

"Master Yahiro!" Yahiro could barely hear the call, let alone recognize who had said it. It was probably Sota with the mail anyways.

"What?"

"What do you want done with the packages?" Sota yelled, entering the room. Darn it, he was supposed to be a waiter in the kitchens, not Yahiro's mail slave! This was what happened when you stuck your nose too far into someone else's business! He should have just stuck to putting the letters in the stack, instead of taking it for the lazy absent maid!

"Fan girl stuff in storage! Family stuff in the ballroom with the rest of it! Letters in here!" Yahiro replied over the noise. "Actually, take them to my office; it'll be quieter there!"

Sota obeyed, seeing Yahiro's fierce glare. _Megumi... I love you... but I want out of here! He scares me!_

Yahiro followed Sota to the office, and Sota proceeded to flee from the grounds.

Yahiro tossed aside any official correspondence to the side once he saw Megumi's letter.

_Hello Yahiro! How have you been? Only two weeks left until Christmas!_

He really didn't need that reminder. Two measly weeks until he reached his own self-inflicted deadline to find her.

_I love Christmas! Here in Japan, its more of a romantic holiday, you know? It's cute seeing all those couples on the street... its different seeing people buying gifts instead of just being together and enjoying each other's company. I mean, we buy gifts, but its cuter if its just about being with the ones you care about, isn't it?_

Yahiro wouldn't know. He'd never spent Christmas with a girlfriend, just as a group with the rest of the S.A and the other people that had joined the group. Too bad all of them were couples... Akira and Tadashi, Kei and Hikari, Ryuu and Finn... everyone really except for him and Megumi. The only single ones in the group.

_Hey, if you think of Christmas of a time to just be with loved ones, that means that everyday could be Christmas! Hee hee, I can't believe I just noticed that!_

_Well, anyways, here's your letter Yahiro!_

() () () () () ()

'T' is for talk.

You hated it when I talked. Despised it. Told me to shut up. You know, all that stuff. Well, it was all your fault I talked in the first place! You had absolutely no room to get angry.

Hey, I didn't even want to talk on that date anyways, I just didn't want you to walk away even more. And after I used my precious voice to speak to you, you told me to be quiet... in stronger terms actually. After you told me to talk!

You confuse me! You tell me to talk, and then you tell me to stop! It never ended! There is no pleasing you, is there?

I'm just kidding, I don't really think that way. I didn't mind at all, after that first time. It made me happy to talk to you. I wanted to talk to the one I loved. I really did... even if you wanted me silent.

So, hint time! Where did I first talk?

() () () () () ()

_Six letters left Yahiro. You're running out of time!_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro sighed deeply, feeling depressed, though he'd never admit it. Even if Megumi had been kidding, she was right. There was no pleasing him. He told her to talk, then to shut up. He acted like she was annoying, then he'd praise her. He wanted her to sing, but only for him. There really was no way to make him happy.

Of course, he had lied about what he wanted a lot of the time. He tried to never let anyone get close enough to see how he truly felt, but Megumi had always seen right through him. He hadn't even wanted to let her in, but she'd found a way to him anyways.

He'd never told her how much he appreciated her being there, or how he loved how she'd only talk for him. How special her attention made him feel. Or how he had begun to realize exactly how important Megumi was to him. But now... now he had a second chance... and he wasn't going to let her walk away this time.

* * *

MBP: Well, there's that chapter. Hope you all enjoyed!

Rini: And I hope you review! There's the button below... you know you want to click it! Even anonymously people! All reviews accepted! And when you review, tell her I need a sibling!

MBP: Please don't... review, but she doesn't need any help...

Rini: MBP, let the nice people decide that! Review, and I hope you enjoyed this latest installment!


	21. U' is for

MBP: Yes... I know, it's been a while... I'm so sorry... I got caught up in school, and my mom cleaned up my room and she hid my notebook and then I had no ideas what so freaking ever! But it's here, and I'm even uploading multiple chapters!

Rini: She's crazy, you might have noticed...

Kio: At least she's enthusiastic...

MBP: Well, anyways, for those of you who are still sticking around and reading this after the long wait, I am eternally grateful! You're the best!

Rini: Oh, little side note... OVER 10,000 VIEWS! Boo-yah! Made this little voice very pleased... and almost a hundred views... like she said, you guys all rule!

Kio: Um... no one here owns SA... unless Maki Minami's reading, and then we just hope we never find out...

MBP: Please enjoy!

* * *

**_Chapter 21: U is for..._**

Countdown until Christmas: 11 days.

Yahiro glared at the sign Chitose had put up. It was tempting, very damn tempting, to feel petty and add a couple days. Say, another month to reach Christmas? Yahiro admitted that it sounded very good, except for the fact that it would be pointless and mean to his younger brother.

It had been three days since the last letter and more realizations about his feelings for the missing girl. Three days since Sota had disappeared and a new, crazy fan-girl of a maid had brought all the mail. Once Sota returned, Yahiro had a plan to get revenge on the boy. The maid was completely useless except for the fact that she had hands and legs with which to bring the mail with.

Eleven days. Six letters. Time was almost up, and now there was another letter.

_Eleven more days Yahiro! Are you excited?_

He'd be more excited if he could find her! Honestly, how come it was so difficult? She was supposed to be an idiot!

_I'm excited! I've got a tree, and decorations... it's very American actually! Haha, I didn't even notice that little fact until I started writing this!_

_Well, here's your letter!_

() () () () () ()

'U' stand for USA. You remember, the States? America? Of course you know, you're not stupid.

Well, I always thought it would be interesting to visit someplace in the USA besides Hawaii. Like New York, or Hollywood, or even somewhere quiet, like some obscure little town that barely anyone's ever heard of! It would be an adventure!

I never told anyone but you, you know? Not even Jun, Ryuu, or Mitsuru know I want to go to the States. Just you. Does that make you feel special Yahiro? Because it's kinda supposed to...

Well, you never treated it like a stupid idea. Sure, you said it was, but you never acted like it was. You encouraged it, bringing me brochures and information about good tourist areas. You even offered to come with me; rudely, but still... at least you offered!

And that made me extremely happy Yahiro. I loved the fact that you'd offered to come with me, even though Akira wasn't involved in any way at all.

Oh, I did some more research though! Sometime, when the time's right, I want to go to Oregon! I heard they have this long season where they put on a lot of theatre shows! (A/N: The Oregon Shakespeare festival in Ashland. Absolutely amazing, and it's not all Shakespeare. I highly recommend going, drama people!) And it snows there in the winter, and has ice skating! I found it all on my laptop... along with other places! Ashland for one, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Chicago, New York... maybe a whole road trip if I get a group to go with me. A big group!

Maybe for the New Year... just take a vacation to go to the States! That would be so much fun, don't you think?

Okay, hint: Where can you find those brochures you gave me?

() () () () () ()

_Five letters left Yahiro!_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro sighed wearily. He didn't remember where he could find any stupid travel brochures, it had been years ago!

He did remember talking about a trip though... Megumi had always been excited about visiting the States. Hell, she was always excited about traveling period, especially if she was going with the rest of their friends. Of course, she'd given him a little grief about her "missing" camera the first time he brought brochures, teasingly, and when he'd gotten silent, began to poke him.

But he'd remained silent, and Megumi had let it go after a few minutes, running off with her brochures to make more plans.

She'd been smiling so happily; her smile was so bright, it rivaled the sun. She'd been wearing the same outfit she'd worn on their first fake date, the one where he first heard her sing. In fact, she looked almost exactly the same as she had that day, except she was smiling for real this time, and her hair was in pigtails. He could remember those little details, so why couldn't he remember where in Japan he'd found those stupid brochures?

Yahiro sighed again. Time to research then...

He pulled his laptop towards him and opened it. "Time for another long night..."

() () () () () ()

Sota sat cowered under some blankets in his room, trying to avoid actually having to go back to the Saiga's house and work. Which, of course, meant pretending to be sick like a little boy trying to get out of school. And while it might have fooled his employers, it was too bad it didn't fool anyone else.

And it especially didn't work on the rest of the conspirators against Yahiro. Sota could actually hear them, even though no one else was in his house, not even his twin brothers.

Mitsuru: "Stop being a coward and get your ass to work."

Kenta: "We need you to be there. Are you really going to let Megumi of all people down?"

Twins: "Go back to work so we can play there!"

And Megumi? Megumi hadn't done anything, not even a sad little note, which Sota thought was a lot worse than being ordered around and insulted.

Sota picked up his phone, wondering exactly how just thinking of the girl made him feel like he was trash if he didn't make sure she was happy. "Yes? This is Sota... yes, I'm feeling much better... I'll be back to work tomorrow."

* * *

MPB: And this chapter's done... Don't worry, another is coming tonight! Thanks again so much for sticking with me! I'll try to be better about updating the rest, I promise!

Rini: Well, hope you all enjoyed! Please review!

Kio: Thanks for being here everyone! Jaa nee...


	22. V' is for

MBP: Another chapter! Yay for having time and computer access! And I hope you guys are all still enjoying it, those who stuck around, and new readers!

Rini: We hope never to have the three-month break again. Ever.

Kio: Um... MBP owns nothing... hope you enjoy it...

* * *

_**Chapter 22: V is for...**_

"Pancakes. Blackberry Jam on toast. And I want a big glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. And don't forget the coffee. I want it black with three sugars, and bring me milk in case I change my mind!" Yahiro ordered, almost completely in one breath.

Sota bit back a groan. He was well aware this was punishment for being gone and leaving Yahiro with, quote, "A prime example of female uselessness and annoyance in the form of a human being in a maid outfit", end quote.

"Would you like the mail as well?" Sota asked, already sure of the answer. Mail, mail, mail. Sota still hadn't forgotten he was supposed to work in the kitchen and just drop the unaddressed letters somewhere a maid would pick it up and deliver it. He wasn't actually supposed to be the mail man!

"Yes. Be back in ten minutes." Yahiro turned his back on him to look at Chitose's countdown.

Countdown until Christmas: 6 days.

Six days. Five letters. Time depleting with every second that Yahiro stared at the countdown.

"Sota!"

"Coming!" Sota dashed into the room, looking frightened for his safety, holding the pancakes and the mail. "Here's the pancakes and the mail! The toast, orange juice, and coffee will be here soon!"

"Good. Now go tell Finn that I will be attending the holiday party she and her father are holding, and then..." Yahiro gave Sota a long list of jobs that most people would take all day to do, and instructed him to be back in an hour and a half, much to Sota's dismay.

"Y-yes..." Sota was frightened, and wondering exactly what evil spirit possessed him and forced him back to work. Yahiro was pleased at the reaction.

"Revenge is sweet..." he muttered to himself as he sorted through the letters.

_Bills... who cares? Magazine... thought I'd canceled this subscription... Fan-girl letter... do I even know this person? Aha!_

Yahiro ripped open the letter almost violently, nearly ripping it in his frustration. He paused to give himself a little time to actually calm down before reading it.

_Hello Yahiro! Less than a week! I'm so excited!_

_Well... kinda excited. Writing these made me miss everyone... and all the good times we had first year. Haha, I can't believe it! I'm homesick! _

_But still... Christmas! I'm still super excited!_

_And here's your letter!_

() () () () () ()

'V' is for Valentine's Day!

Ah, Valentine's Day. It is the one day that girls feel comfortable, nay, obligated, to confess their love to certain special boys. If they don't, they are considered failures to the female race.

And trust me, they are considered failures.

It is a failure on the girl's part if you don't give chocolate to the one you love on this day. However, it is not a failure if you make them home-made chocolate that sends them to the hospital as long as you actually confess to them. No ifs, ands, or buts.

So, if you don't give chocolate or confess, you are a failure. You are an even bigger failure if the boy you like doesn't accept the chocolates or your feelings. Not only are you a failure, you are a failure unworthy of dating.

Now that I think about it, Valentine's day is a very stressful and traumatizing holiday... that isn't actually a real holiday at all!

Now, you may be asking, why do girls freak out over this fake holiday if at least three quarters of them will be failures? The answer: Underneath our handy little world-weary masks, we are mostly hopeless romantics that want the guy we love to love us back.

Anyways, you may remember that anonymous chocolate you got first year... Red box, white ribbon, tossed into your bag, never to be seen by human eyes again? Whoever gave you that was mostly a failure, because you couldn't acknowledge who it was. Only mostly though, because she at least tried to get you something.

Back on topic, that was the year we all stayed the night at your house and played stupid little games like "Truth or Dare", and "Spin the Bottle". Well, attempted Spin the Bottle, because none of us accepted that we'd have to kiss someone other than our date. Which you know, everyone but the two of us had, so we were teamed up together.

Then us girls handed out chocolate. I gave some to everyone, but (don't tell anyone Yahiro), I gave you the most. Just as a little, "I like you Yahiro, a lot" message that I don't think got across. Because I began to wonder, did you even keep mine, or did you throw it away?

Well, I guess you get a hint now, right?

Hint: Where do most kitchen-klutzy girls that can't cook to save their lives get their Valentine's chocolates from?

() () () () () ()

_Four letters left Yahiro!_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro frowned. He remembered that year a bit too well for comfort. He'd been drowned, nearly literally, in fan-girl chocolate, and he'd tossed them in bags so he could sort them out later. Then he could reject the girls and be done with it. Of course, he hadn't had time because the SA took over his house and brought with them friends and family. Sakura just barged in as usual, and Finn was with Ryuu. Aoi had come for some reason, sticking way too close to Alisa, and Sui had dashed upstairs to hang out with Chitose.

Which kind of disturbed him, because Chitose had been wrapping a package looking suspiciously like chocolate that made it's way into Sui's possession, but forgetting that...

He definitely remembered the chocolate giving. There had been that moment of possessiveness and jealousy when he saw Megumi giving the chocolate to the other boys in the SA. It was a moment he hadn't understood back then, but thinking back, things made too much sense...

Anyways, where did girls get their gifts from? Yahiro remembered he used to get a lot from a local shop, but it had closed down two years ago. He'd have to do some research now... The maids, or maybe even Chitose, someone had to know something.

_Now, where is Sota? I have some more things for him to do..._

() () () () () ()

"You were right, Sui loved it!" Chitose beamed. "Sometimes it helps to have you around, Idiot Woman!"

Megumi frowned and held back the anger she felt hearing the old insult again. She merely held up her sign. **'So, you'll help now?'**

"Haven't I done enough just hanging up the countdown?" Chitose sighed. "Plus, couldn't I just tell Yahiro-nii-sama where you are?"

**'You won't,'** Megumi wrote calmly, watching the boy with a smile. **'You're just like your brother. You enjoy tormenting him a little.'**

"Of course I do!" Chitose smirked mischievously, looking almost exactly like Yahiro had at his age. "So... what do you need me to do?"

* * *

MBP: Hope you enjoyed having another chapter! Sniffle... I can't believe it... I just got back, but it's almost over...

Rini: Are you sure you're not trying to prolong the ending by not getting it written?

MBP: That is so not the case! It's just sad, that's all...

Kio: Um... b-before this becomes a fight between those two... please review, and hope you enjoyed... Jaa nee...


	23. W' is for

MBP: Yay, I'm updating faster! XD Haha, I have banished Rini for this chapter, because she is very angry at me for not waiting a while longer! She doesn't want it to end, but I'm updating, because the ideas are coming!

Kio: Is Onee-chan nostalgic because she considered this her "child"?

MBP: Kioshi, no more big words for you, where did you hear that, and the answer to your question is yes. I think Rini's actually imagining this as a t.v. show right now... and plushies, and pictures, ect... Well, yeah... So, if Rini isn't here for the next few chapters, it's because she's reminiscing of the good old days of letter 'B'.

Kio: MBP owns nothing...

* * *

_**Chapter 23: W is for...**_

"Yahiro-nii-sama! Can you teach me to waltz?" Chitose dashed into Yahiro's room the next day frantically. "Please?"

"Why do you need to know how to waltz? Didn't you learn years ago?" Yahiro asked back irritably. How long exactly did it take Sota to bring the mail to him? He'd sent him to get it three minutes sixteen seconds four milliseconds ago. Sota should be back by now.

"Because I can't remember how, and I need to dance at Sui's Christmas party, and he'll kill me if I mess up!"

Christmas. The day of the deadline.

Countdown until Christmas: 5 days.

Chitose looked downright desperate, and normally Yahiro would have tried to help his poor little brother out, but he didn't have time at the moment. He needed Sota to get back with the mail, and then he'd be searching for a letter.

"Go have Sui teach you then, I have stuff to do here," Yahiro muttered to his brother. Chitose brightened at the words and grinned.

"Really? Okay, I'll be over at the Takishima's then!" Chitose's easy agreement grabbed Yahiro's attention.

"Are you planning something?" Yahiro asked suspiciously. If he had to deal with his brother's pranks, Megumi's letters, and planning revenge on Mitsuru, he might just snap, and someone would die. Hopefully Mitsuru, but Yahiro wasn't counting on that.

"Me? No!" Chitose grinned mischievously. "You just normally never let me hang out with Sui without you, unless you're forced to!" Chitose then ran off before Yahiro had a chance to reply or change his mind about letting Sui teach his younger brother to waltz.

Yahiro sighed and clapped his hand over his face. He'd forgotten he didn't want Sui alone anywhere with Chitose. That could only lead to problems, and he'd followed that idea for years now. And now he was forgetting that because of Megumi's letters. Which needed to get here. "Sota!"

The boy didn't come immediately, which annoyed Yahiro even more, and he could feel his anger growing. That boy was going to die, or getting severely maimed if he didn't get here soon. "Sota!"

"I'm here! Sorry!" Sota came in with the mail, and holding on tightly to his twin brothers. "I had to bring them; our parents are still on their honeymoon," Sota explained apologetically, putting the stack of mail on the desk. "Here's the mail..."

"Good. Thank you. Now I want some breakfast! I want a blueberry muffin, a strawberry parfait, some coffee, and... hmm... how about some pudding? Tapioca. And your brother's can stay in the room next door. And they should get some food too. Anything they want."

"Thanks so much!" The twins chorused before leaving, drowning Sota with requests for food as Yahiro shuffled through the mail

He found Megumi's letter at the bottom, with a CD attached to it. He frowned thoughtfully, wondering what it was before he placed it into the CD player. To his surprise, quiet dance music began to play.

_Hello! Five days left, so here's the letter!_

() () () () () ()

'W' is for waltz.

I love waltzing. I love the dance, the music, the picture formed when people dance it... It's so pretty! It is such a beautiful and calming dance... and it's the only dance that reminds me of holidays, however strange that sounds. But it really reminds me of holidays... maybe because at the parties we had to go to, the waltz was always at the holiday parties.

Well, everything about the waltz enchants me. The swirls of color as the dresses spin, it's tranquility, the music... it's so pretty and it tells of times past and fantasies, and people generations ago danced the same dance. If I let myself go during a waltz, I can imagine I'm dancing with people years ago, people I never met, people I don't know even existed, but they're doing the waltz with me. It's... indescribable. I love it.

Do you remember when we waltzed together? It was at Akira's birthday party, the year we brought Kei back. I don't think you really wanted to, I remember Hikari pushing you towards me, but you did it anyways. And when you held your hand out to me... I was happier than I'd ever been before.

I was so happy, I didn't even imagine going into the past. The present was more than enough for me. I can't remember if you said anything, or if I looked as giddy as I felt. I just remember feeling so extremely happy when you were holding me close... and more than just a little sad when you let me go.

So, hint: Where did we waltz?

() () () () () ()

_Three letters left Yahiro!_

_-Megumi_

The music ended while Yahiro folded the letter up and buried his head, groaning. He remembered the dance a lot more than he wanted to... but not much else after that. Someone, Yahiro suspected the idiot glutton Tadashi, had spiked the punch, and Yahiro ended up drinking a lot.

He'd woken up the next morning with a raging headache and with Megumi's face in his mind, having rather... different... thoughts about the girl. A cold shower, a dark room, and some medicine brought him almost completely back to normal, but the thoughts he'd had mortified and horrified him enough to push them away into a very dark corner of his mind.

Even now, he refused to bring them out fully. He much preferred thinking that she was still so naive and innocent. It was just like her to imagine the waltz as some fantasy dance that would take her back in time. Yahiro could feel himself smiling at the thought. It was nice to know that some things about her never changed.

Yahiro let the smile stay there, and reached out a hand to play the CD once more...

* * *

MBP: And that's the end of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! Tell me what you liked, what you think is cute, what you think is sad, you know, all the works! I want this to end really well, so any comments on what you enjoyed or didn't like is highly appreciated!

Kio: And please say something encouraging to Onee-chan... she's not normally so sad...

MBP: Good point... I kinda miss hyper Rini... that's always here annoying me and moving things along... well, 'til next time folks!

Kio: Uh... hope you enjoyed... Jaa nee...


	24. X' is for

MBP: Well, here's another chapter! I don't have much time, so I own nothing, hope you enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 24: X is for...**_

Countdown until Christmas: 4 days.

Yahiro glared as if that could make the countdown go backwards, and give him some more time. Not surprisingly, that didn't work. And neither could his brain, the way Sota's brothers could yell. He could hear them two doors and a pair of headphones away. Sota had been trying to calm them down for over an hour now. Yahiro was beginning to think that the twin boys were actually robot children that didn't have 'off' buttons. They had limitless amounts of energy that was completely unnatural.

Yahiro was staring at his ceiling, wondering if there was another letter. He hoped there was, and he hoped there wasn't. For now, he just wanted to think about Megumi. It was disturbing, the way she'd changed so much. It had only been five years, but she wasn't as... naive. She still had hints of her old self, but she was mostly gone. Yahiro had never thought he'd miss it so much.

"Mail!" Sota brought in the stack and dashed out again immediately. "Ko! Kohaku! Calm down right now!"

Yahiro picked through the package of letters hesitantly, for once unsure about how he felt. He wanted another letter, wanted that closeness from Megumi, but... he was scared. He'd admit it. He was scared that she no longer cared about him, no longer cared now that he knew he cared about her.

_Hello Yahiro. Only a few letters left..._

He knew that. It was the thought that haunted him relentlessly, more and more as every second passed. He thought about it all the time, so he couldn't sleep, so he tried to figure out the clues. He couldn't focus on anything else, so he practically lived in the world of the letters.

_It came quickly, writing this one... So here it is!_

() () () () () ()

'X' is for x-ray. Yes, x-ray. And this is where you'll get an answer for what I wrote about earlier... You remember right? M. Yes, that little conundrum.

Why I hate your motorcycle... or motorcycles in general.

I still remember the accident you had, and that ride to the hospital. I was worried sick! There was so much blood everywhere, and I mean everywhere... all over you, all over the streets, all over your stupid motorcycle... and you were so pale, like a ghost, though you kept on being cocky, arrogant, and despicable, acting like nothing had happened.

And then, the doctors got you all cleaned up and took and x-ray, and all that was wrong with you was some scrapes and a broken arm. I think I nearly fainted... How could that be all when there was all that blood everywhere? All that worry... it was for nothing!

Well, not nothing, since I was in love with you, and worrying's what I do best, but still... you know... I thought you'd end up hospitalized, or crippled, or dead! So, while the result of those x-rays were relieving, they were infuriating too.

So, I sent you a meaningful word for x. Not as easy as it sounds... not many words start with x. And I answered why I hate motorcycles too! Yay for me! Two birds with one stone!

Oh yeah, hint time!

Hint: Who performed the x-ray?

() () () () () ()

_Two letters left Yahiro... are you close?_

_-Megumi_

Yahiro rubbed the arm that had broken that time and grimaced. He remembered that Megumi had completely freaked out and refused to leave him alone at the hospital. His own freaking parents hadn't even bothered to check up on him. He didn't think they even knew that he'd broken his arm; they'd never mentioned it. But Megumi... she'd made sure to come to his house and visit every day.

It wasn't the best time of his life, that was for sure. Yes, he liked attention, but that wasn't the attention he was used to. He was used to fan-girls and hatred attention. He couldn't figure out why people would actually be worried about him; his parents had never been. It was strange and different, and he didn't like not knowing what he was feeling. Plus, he couldn't even type with his arm broken, so he couldn't use work as an excuse to avoid people.

No, he was much happier when his arm healed, though the loss of Megumi's visits kinda sucked...

But he didn't know who'd performed the x-ray. One, he really didn't like hospitals. If he'd known who forced him to do that stupid thing in the first place, he'd make sure that doctor would never work anywhere near a patient again. And two, he was trying to calm the idiot girl down.

She was always there, using her precious voice to ask if he was okay. He figured that if he didn't act like he was in excruciating pain and continued to be the jerk he was, she'd fall for it. Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky, and she saw right through him. As always.

Yahiro massaged the arm thoughtfully. She really had been worried, and she wasn't afraid to show it. Megumi acted the same way if he even coughed around her. It was sweet, and endearing, though he hadn't noticed back then.

He frowned at another thought. Did she act that concerned for Mitsuru? Did she hover at his side, doing whatever she could to make sure that he was feeling alright? Did Mitsuru appreciate it more that Yahiro had, or did he take it for granted?

Yahiro decided he didn't like those thoughts. He didn't like the thought of Megumi anywhere near the no-good punk, but... he wasn't sure he could do anything about it anymore. He wasn't sure if she was his anymore...

And the only thing he could do was wait for another letter.

* * *

MBP: Okay, please review! Gotta go now! Bye!


	25. Y' is for

MBP: Okay, so after that rushed intro for the last chapter, I have a little time now... I had to clean the kitchen, and I did not want to get my parents angry.

Rini: Sniffle...

Kio: Onee-chan...

MBP: Well, I own nothing, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 25: Y is for...**_

Yahiro was trying to piece the hints together unsuccessfully. So far, the only one he actually understood was the one about Finn. And Finn had told him that she hadn't spoken to Megumi since she left, though Ryuu and Jun had gotten calls lately. So there really was no connection.

He could still hear Ko and Kohaku running around excitedly in the hallway, since Sota had brought them again. Sota apologized, and warned Yahiro that they were going to be there until after Christmas, so Yahiro didn't mind much. Plus, they helped to distract him from the letters.

As of now, he was staring at an unopened Megumi letter in front of him. It had arrived after he'd gotten the rest of the mail, and surprisingly enough, it was Chitose who'd delivered it.

"Sui said that it showed up at his house with your name on it," Chitose had explained when he returned from his surprise sleep-over. "I told him I'd deliver it since he's kinda worried you'd murder him."

Like that would happen. He was too worried about the letters to kill the Takishima brat. Of course, now he was just staring at the letter, unable to get the will to open it.

Okay, he'd admit it, he was scared to open it. He didn't want to read the second to last letter, and he didn't want to know what word was coming. He didn't want to know what else was going to come from Megumi, and he was scared. He was terrified that if he couldn't figure the letters out today, that he'd lose her forever. Yahiro knew it was foolish, but he felt that the longer he didn't open the letter, he could believe it wouldn't be over soon.

Countdown until Christmas: 3 days.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the envelope holding the letter slowly.

_Hello Yahiro... how are you doing? _

Not well... he'd do better if she'd slip and show up in his house so he could talk to her.

_Well, time for your letter..._

() () () () () ()

'Y' is for you. Not your name, which is kind of obvious, but just the word you. A funny word, you... it starts so many sentences, and is used in a lot more. So, I'm going to use the word you in every sentence of this letter.

'You' is a meaningful word no matter how it's used. 'You' can be used as a threat, a confession of love, used to call someone, for a lot of things. "Hey you!" "I love you!" "I'm going to kill you!" See, you can be used a lot of ways, but I like describing things with the word.

So, I'll describe you Yahiro.

You were a despicable jerk that was in love with Akira since the both of you were children.

You were a rude, selfish, spoiled brat that tried to force Akira to see you.

You are obsessed with your work, and you never make an exception or leave it to see people.

You are confused when someone shows signs of concern for you, because you try to make it seem like you don't need anyone else.

You are kind in your own confusing way.

You are gentle, and protective of the people you consider friends.

You are loving to the people you care about, though they may not always realize it when you're trying to help them.

You are the most awkward person I've ever met, simply due to the fact that you can't accept a person's concern, or that someone might actually like you for you, instead of your family's name.

You are the boy that always tries to help people, but you're also the one that never wants appreciation for what you do for others.

You are a lot of things that no one else knows about.

You have darkness in your heart, and you have the strength to fight against it.

You are a dear friend to many people who love you.

You are Yahiro Saiga, a person most people would kill to be. You are a human being who cares too much, but has no way to show it. You are an enigma, a puzzle not even I could solve. You are someone who needs to learn to care about themselves sincerely before they can let someone else in.

You are you.

So I will give you your hint this time, which is also a bit of advice to...

Hint: You need to look inside yourself.

() () () () () ()

_You only have one letter left Yahiro... please be close!_

_-Megumi_

Did she want him to find her? Then why didn't she just come back?

Yahiro knew why. She had to finish these, to prove she could finish the challenge, try to prove she wasn't the idiot he'd always accused her of being.

Yahiro sighed, unsure of what he was supposed to do. What did she mean, "look inside himself"? He was pretty sure he meant it in a soul-searching sort of way, but he didn't even have an idea of where to start. How do you start looking at yourself if you didn't like the person who was there?

Megumi was right about all the things she'd said. He had been a spoiled brat, a jerk that only cared about making Akira happy. His work was his safe haven, where he didn't have to worry about anyone and he could escape. He didn't deserve to have people care enough to worry about him.

Maybe he did have a lot of self-hatred in there... But what exactly could he do about it without the one person who ever made him feel wanted?

() () () () () ()

Mitsuru sighed as Megumi locked him out of the room, pleading for a bit of privacy. She'd been more withdrawn from them as the letters kept going. He didn't like seeing her so worried and unhappy.

Mitsuru really didn't like this Yahiro. He seemed stuck-up and rude... never mind the fact that he was really desperate to find Megumi. It was probably only because he couldn't stand the fact that she could mess with him and not get caught.

Oh, who was he kidding? He was jealous that Megumi still liked the jerk. But he still cared enough to make sure that she finished what she needed to do... even if she never realized the way he felt about her...

* * *

MBP: Well, that's the end of this chapter! Hope to see you next time!

Rini: Only one letter left... *sobs* DON'T END, PLEASE DON'T END!

MBP: ...Someone please tell her something that will stop this crazy crying... please...

Kio: Um... please review... we hope you enjoyed... Jaa nee...


	26. Z' is for

MBP: Okay, I have two little things to say... 1) This is short. Very short! and 2) This is NOT the end! Not the end! Not the end!

Rini: I think they got it...

MBP: I wanted to make sure... I don't want someone to say I'm horrible at the end of this chapter... there is more, I promise! There is more to the story!

Kio: Um... she owns nothing...

* * *

_**Chapter 26: Z is for...**_

'Z' is for Zero.

Zero. Also a word for none, no more, nothing, a number that gives a meaning of non-existence.

The final word. The last letter.

There's no more time Yahiro. Game over... I win. But sadly, I'm not feeling any satisfaction about it.

I wanted you to find me Yahiro. I wanted you to catch up to me. But you didn't, and the game's over now. You lose... and so did I...

I don't know what to do next... I can't see you right now, but... I can't find the strength to leave. Yahiro, I'm sorry... I'm sorry I made you go through this... I'm sorry I made myself go through this.

I know it was nothing but trouble. I know that there was no way you could have found me, because the only one who could have pieced my hints together was me. I knew that the game was unfair. I knew, and I made you play anyways.

So, I'm sorry... nothing I say will ever make it up to you, but now... maybe you can move on. Maybe you gained something from these letters and can accept people more easily now... Maybe I'm just trying to rationalize it to myself.

I still love you Yahiro. I love you just as much as I did back in first year... I could fool myself and go out on dates when I didn't think about you, but in the end... I still love you. Completely. And I don't think I'll stop loving you for a long time.

Please, be happy... I promise, this idiot won't fall back into your life... I won't hurt you anymore, I promise...

I'm so, so, so sorry...

() () () () () ()

_I love you Yahiro... One last time, I just want you to know that... I love you..._

_-Megumi_

Yahiro stared out his window, not seeing or hearing anything. She was gone. The last letter had come, and he had lost the game. He hadn't found her in time.

He lost. For the first time in his life, except on the rare occasions it was against Kei, he had lost some kind of game. But in this case, he hadn't just lost his pride, or some kind of bet. He had lost his heart to Megumi as he read the letters, and now... he'd lost her.

He'd lost Megumi. And this time... it was forever. She was gone... and he'd never see her again...

* * *

MBP: Okay, once again: NOT THE END! There is more to it, I promise! I would not torment everyone that stuck around for this story to finish only to end with this depressing thing. No, there is more, and you shall get it!

Rini: Please don't say that... that means it's almost over... *sobs*

MBP: Great, now she's depressed...

Kio: Please read **Outside Looking In** and **Happy Endings are Hard to Find**! I know it's rude of me, but I gave MBP the ideas, and I want to know what people think!

MBP: And he's super hyper... this is all new... Well, this is strange... um... bye everyone! See you in a few, I hope! Review please!


	27. Finishing the Game

MBP: I just want to say, thanks to all of you! I'd have never made this story finish if it hadn't been for everyone viewing and reviewing this! So, in the end, this wasn't just me, Rini, and Kioshi who created this story, it was all of you as well! This is not just mine, it's all of yours as well! Thanks again for everything, especially for sticking around when I didn't continue writing for the longest time!

Rini: You're all amazing! I'm sad that this is over, but I'm so happy that so many of you continued to read and enjoy this! I wish all of you the best of stories to read/write/enjoy after this! Thanks so much, all of you!

Kio: Thanks for staying with us... we couldn't have done this without all of you! There are too many people to thank individually, so everyone that reviewed even one chapter anonymously or not, and everyone that is reading this... you're all being thanked right here!

MBP, Rini, & Kio: Thanks again, from all of us! And here it is... the final chapter of **Letters for Yahiro**... We own nothing!

* * *

**_Chapter 27: Finishing the Game..._**

Yahiro pounded his head against the wall, cursing the silence in the house. For a Christmas, it really sucked. Christmas was officially the worst holiday of the year.

Chitose was off at the Takishima's, getting ready for the Christmas party there. Sota was gone, again, so of course his loud step-brothers weren't there. Shame, at least they'd at least distract him for a little while. His parents weren't home, which wasn't surprising since they were never there for the holidays. Even the servants had left him, taking a Christmas vacation. Christmas was just a lame excuse to take a break from doing anything productive... Bah humbug!

Yahiro realized exactly how Scrooge-like he was acting, but he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything anymore. He'd lost the most important thing in his life... for the second time! He felt entitled to have some self-pity.

So absorbed in his self-pity and hating the world, he didn't notice someone enter his room and watch him silently. It was only when the other boy coughed that Yahiro even noticed that there was someone else there.

Too bad it wasn't who he'd wanted it to be. Yahiro's eyes narrowed hatefully and he resisted the urge to kill. "What the hell do you want?" He snapped to Mitsuru, who was leaning against the wall with a smug smirk on his face. "You already got what you want; you don't need to rub it in."

"Wouldn't you do the same exact thing? Rub in the fact that Megumi was with you?"

"Hell no!" Yahiro sat up straight and sent his deadliest glare towards the other boy. "She's way too precious to use like that!"

Mitsuru stared at Yahiro, cold blankness in his gaze. Yahiro hated him more than anything... hated everything about the other boy. "So get out, and let me get on with my life." Yahiro sent the order, barely able to speak the words without yelling. He turned his back and sent his attention to the dent he'd created in his wall.

"I love her." Mitsuru said suddenly, breaking the silence. Yahiro turned again to look at Mitsuru, who avoided his eyes. "I've loved Megumi for years, you know that?"

"And now you have her," Yahiro growled, shaking in fury. Mitsuru was mocking him now, mocking the way Yahiro was grieving.

"No... I don't." Mitsuru sighed and shook his head. "Maybe I thought I would, but Megumi would never care for me that way."

Good. It was the only word that Yahiro could hear in his head, and it's spiteful tone almost helped him feel better about himself. Almost.

"She loves you," Mitsuru said quietly, finally looking back at the defeated boy on the bed. Here he was, looking at his rival, and he couldn't feel anything but pity. He wanted to hate Yahiro for having Megumi's heart, but... "She never stopped, not even when she was with us. You, the SA... you were all she'd ever talk about sometimes."

Yahiro scoffed at the idea of Megumi caring anymore. "She doesn't love me."

"What makes you say that?" Mitsuru asked, taking the chair from the desk. "The fact that she didn't come to see you?"

"I'm nothing but a jerk who'd only hurt her," Yahiro muttered, turning away from the other boy. He wasn't taunting him, but Yahiro didn't want to see the Mitsuru. If he looked, all he saw was Megumi with Mitsuru, forgetting about him.

"You've hurt her before and that didn't change her feelings," Mitsuru said, getting tired of the other boy's self-pity. He was in the same boat basically, and he'd landed on his feet. "Why would that change now?"

"Don't you get it?" Yahiro snapped, letting his anger take over now. He turned on the other boy, shaking with fury as he nearly ripped his sheets, needing to do something with his hands so he wouldn't rip off Mitsuru's head. "I'm a monster, nothing but a despicable jerk that no one should care about! I don't deserve her! Nothing I do will ever make me deserve her!"

"No one deserves her!" Mitsuru shouted back, giving into violence and grabbing Yahiro's collar. "Not you, not me, not anyone in this world, do you understand me? She's got the purest soul in the world, and there is no one who can honestly say they deserve her love! No one!"

Mitsuru shook Yahiro harshly, tossing him back on the bed. "But we got her love anyways, and I can't believe you'd seriously give it up that easily!"

"I don't want to give it up!" Yahiro yelled, standing and pushing Mitsuru angrily. "But what else am I supposed to do?"

"Go find her!" Mitsuru was beyond being calm. He was talking to his major rival, and said rival was actually giving up on the best person who could have ever walked into either of their lives! "Don't let her get away!"

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Yahiro shouted, running a hand through his hair. "I've gone over her hints a thousand times each, and they don't connect! I've tried, do you think I haven't? I'm willing to give everything up to find her!"

Mitsuru stared for a moment at Yahiro. He hated being good at reading people; it didn't help him when he wanted someone who was completely sincere to be lying. Mitsuru sighed, hoping that he was doing the right thing...

"Tsukiyomi Hotel, room 19 on floor 14," Mitsuru sighed, searching through his pockets as Yahiro stared at him in confusion. Mitsuru pulled out a room card and tossed it at the other boy. "That's my room card. Connecting door to the left leads to Megumi's room."

"Why are you doing this?" Yahiro breathed, holding the card as if it was the last link to life. "Why help me if you love her?"

"I'd go quickly; she's leaving the hotel in an hour," Mitsuru said, not moving even when Yahiro ran out of the room, leaving him alone.

Mitsuru tried to smile weakly, but failed. "It's because I love her," he answered to the silent room, unable to find the strength to move. "I'd help you because that would make her happy... even if it hurts me..."

() () () () () ()

Yahiro found the room Mitsuru had told him about easily and gone in. Actually opening the connecting door was a much harder story... the doubts began to hit him.

What if she'd already left? What if she didn't want to see him? What if she told him that he was late and she never wanted to acknowledge his existence again?

Yahiro Saiga didn't feel doubts. He was calm, confident in everything he did, smart, strong...

What the hell was he thinking? When it came to Megumi, he was anything but any of the above. And right now, he was almost shaking in his shoes... but he couldn't let her go... not now.

He went to open the door, but paused when he heard voices on the other side... voices he'd heard before.

"Megumi... are you okay?" Kenta, the man from work? He knew Megumi? What the hell?

There was silence, but Yahiro could safely assume that was Megumi on her sketch board.

"Megu-chan, do you want one of my cookies?"

"No, one of mine!"

Ko and Kohaku? The little kids too? That only meant...

"Um... Megumi? Are you sure you're alright? I mean... we all just want you to be happy."

Oh, Sota was going to die. Yahiro sincerely hoped he was going to continue working at the Saiga household, if only for one more day. He'd be so maimed that his brothers would have to baby-sit him, instead of the other way around.

"Where's Mitsuru?" Kenta asked quietly. "I thought he said he'd be here."

Yahiro needed to get in that room. He'd instill some fear into Sota while he was at it... he had a feeling Kenta wouldn't be scared, and he at least was doing his professional company some good.

"Sorry, Mitsuru won't be here," Yahiro drawled as he walked in, relishing the look on Sota's face. He wasn't too pleased at the fear in Megumi's though... "I need to speak to Megumi alone please. Now."

Ko and Kohaku were the wise ones. Yahiro was glad to be able to recognize brains when he saw them. The twins didn't even bother to exchange glances at Megumi, they just ran. Kenta looked at Megumi and then nodded before he left. Sota appeared to be shocked into place, so Yahiro smiled evilly at him.

"Sota, leave please," Yahiro said quietly, quite enjoying the fear growing. Sota turned to leave abruptly. "Oh, and Sota... I'll see you for work tomorrow."

Sota ran, and Yahiro heard a choked laugh behind him. He hadn't realized Megumi would take so much pleasure in her friends getting threatened... He'd have to do it more often.

"Now... I need to talk to you." Yahiro turned to look at Megumi.

**'I won.'** Oh, now she wanted to rub it in... or reject him, but Yahiro was more inclined to lean towards the first option.

"Yes, you did," Yahiro agreed, taking a step towards her, disappointed when she retreated as well.

**'You have no right to be here.'** Megumi held her sign up stubbornly, then indicated to her suitcases. **'I'm leaving soon, and I'd like to pack.'**

"Well, that's too bad, I don't plan on letting you leave this room until I finish what I'm going to say," Yahiro replied, smirking at her frown. Just like old times...

**'And I'm not missing my flight. So leave.'**

"So pack while I talk. You can multi-task, right? You're not that much of an idiot." Yahiro chuckled inwardly at her glare. She really hadn't changed much, she was just more outspoken.

**'Was that a kind of compliment? I'm so flattered...'** Megumi rolled her eyes, returning to her belongings. Yahiro let her pack while he tried to find the words he needed to say.

"I love you," Yahiro heard come out of his mouth, freezing the girl in her tracks. "I didn't realize it until you started writing to me, but I've loved you for years, and I was too dense to see it. It practically killed me to think of you being gone forever."

"Yahiro..." Megumi took a step towards him, but he didn't even notice.

"I was a jealous wreck! I couldn't sleep, I couldn't think of anything but you! I thought I'd ruined everything because I was such a despicable jerk, and a moron, and I was too much of an idiot to find you!" Yahiro admitted, letting his emotions show all at once. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not letting you get away this time! I'm not letting you go, do you understand me?"

"You can't control me." The four words froze Yahiro and he backed away, trying to gain control of himself.

"You're right..." Yahiro choked out, backing towards the door. "You're absolutely right. I can't force you to do anything. But I needed you to know how I felt before you left."

Love hurt. He'd thought he'd loved Akira, but it was nothing like this. Real love made him feel like he was going to fall into a million tiny little pieces, and still get trampled on. Losing her was worse than anything he'd had felt before... and he couldn't do anything about it. Nothing he said or did would help him here. He was one of the most successful people in the world, and the one thing he really needed was the one thing he could never have. The one person he really cared about was the only one that would never be there.

"W-wait!" Yahiro was out the door and closing it when Megumi grabbed his arm and pulled him back, slamming the door so he couldn't leave.

"Megumi, I can't..." Yahiro backed into the wall when Megumi wrapped her arms around his neck, caught off balance at the sudden weight.

"Please... if you really love me... than just hold me..." Yahiro sighed, knowing he'd hurt more at the end of this, but unable to let her go. He wrapped his arms around her waist protectively, wanting more. He wanted to hold her close to him and never let go. But it was impossible.

"Yahiro... will you kiss me?" Megumi whispered, and Yahiro tensed in surprise. Who was this girl, and why was she asking him to kiss her? "You never did when we were younger..."

"Megumi... don't do this to me..." Yahiro choked on the words. "If you won't stay, then don't..."

"I'll stay. If you really love me." Megumi's eyes were wide, and innocent. "I'd stay for you."

Yahiro's heart warmed at the sound of the words. But he had to be honest... "I won't always be nice," he warned. "I'll end up hurting you sometimes. More often than not, I'll be insulting you, instead of giving you compliments. You're going to think I'm despicable, and I'll think you're a naive fool and..."

"And that's not new," Megumi interrupted, pressing a finger to his lips. "Do you love me?"

"Yes... more than anything." Yahiro held her hand and touched his cheek to it. It was so soft, so warm...

"Then I'll stay. Are you going to kiss me?" Megumi looked so serious, and absolutely adorable.

Yahiro chuckled and kissed Megumi's hand instead. "Idiot..." he murmured against her skin, ignoring the frown. "I plan on kissing you every day for the rest of our lives... no need to be in a hurry."

Megumi turned red, and Yahiro began to laugh again. Some things just never changed...

~~()~~()~~()~~()~~()~~()~~

**Three Months Later**

"Ouch! What the hell Mitsuru?" Yahiro punched Mitsuru in the face, in revenge for the bruised kneecap he was sure he had now. "Have you finally lost your mind?"

"You. Are. Dead!" Mitsuru threw another punch at Yahiro, who dodged it, still wondering what the hell he'd done to piss him off this time. While he was thinking about it, Mitsuru's foot hit him in the face, sending him flying.

And with that, Yahiro was done with it. For the next ten minutes, the two boys fought in front of the Saiga home, with no one trying to stop them. Sota came back from some errands, paling when he saw them, and ran inside the house, returning with the soon-to-be lady of the house.

Megumi approached the two boys and smacked both of them with her sketch board, effectively stopping the fight. **'Both of you need to calm down!'**

"But... Megumi..."

"He started it, hitting me the moment he saw me!" Yahiro sent the blame towards Mitsuru, eager to escape a lecture. "I was defending myself! You wouldn't want your beloved to be killed by your insane friend, would you?"

"Well, if you could control your hormones, we wouldn't..." Mitsuru snapped.

"What do my hormones have to do with anything?" Yahiro growled, about ready to start the fight again. Yahiro was practically already married to Megumi anyways... they were already engaged, living together... they just hadn't had the ceremony yet.

Megumi hit Mitsuru on the head again and then smiled her brightest smile at Yahiro. "Yahiro... I'm pregnant."

"P-pregnant?" Yahiro stared for a moment and then grabbed his fiancé in a hug, spinning her in a circle. "I'm going to be father?"

"Yes!" Megumi giggled, holding onto him.

"Well, now I understand why he was trying to kill me," Yahiro said, teasing Mitsuru gently. Mitsuru glared, used to it, but now was a serious moment!

Yahiro understood that, and looked at Megumi. "Could I pick the godparent?" Megumi nodded her approval, frowning in confusion when Yahiro let her go.

"Mitsuru... would you be the godfather for our child?" Yahiro asked seriously, reaching out a hand for the other boy.

"Are you serious?" Mitsuru asked incredulously. He might be at the Saiga's home a lot, but he'd never gotten close to Yahiro. There was no reason at all for Yahiro to be asking him...

"I haven't forgotten that if you hadn't helped me, she'd have gotten away," Yahiro replied quietly. "It would be my honor to have you be the godfather."

Mitsuru thought for a moment about what Yahiro was saying and smiled. "I'd love to." He took Yahiro's hand and nodded. There was no way that he'd not be able to be friends with the boy now, not after this.

The rest of the group, their very large group now, came from the house. Sota was hiding a little, still frightened of his employer, while his brothers laughed by him. Kenta had gotten a promotion, courtesy of Yahiro, for his work on the motorcycle piece he'd done. Kei and Hikari were holding onto each other. Aoi watched Alisa ruffle Kohaku's hair while Akira handed out sweets, Tadashi begging for some. Ryuu was hugging Finn, and Sakura chased Jun around, and they were all waiting at the door. Megumi grinned and waved, taking Yahiro's hand gently.

Yahiro smiled and enlaced his fingers with hers. He was surrounded by people, but she was the only one that mattered in the end. Megumi, and the little one she was carrying... He loved them, completely, with everything he was...

And this time... he wouldn't let what he loved go...

~Fin~

* * *

MBP: And... it's over... it's so hard to believe...

Rini: Thanks so much for reading everyone... We'll miss you, and this story...

Kio: Um...

MBP: Let's all do the end, okay... 1...

Rini: 2...

Kio: 3...

All: We love you all... Jaa nee!


End file.
